FBI
Lyle Jeffs is the previous bishop of a polygamist Mormon sect referred to as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jeffs can be the brother of former FLDS chief Warren Jeffs, who was convicted of the sexual assault of a minor in 2011,
Jeffs spent one 12 months as a fugitive from the FBI after Utah prosecutors indicted him and 11 different FLDS members of defrauding the federal government’s Supplemental Vitamin Help Program. He was given a five-year jail sentence after he was re-captured.
Right here’s what you might want to know:
1. He Was A Bishop in FLDS
GettyFLDS members in Colorado Metropolis, Arizona.
Jeffs was described as taking on day-to-day operations after Warren went to jail. He's listed in some court docket paperwork as a “particular counselor” to Warren and a church bishop, in accordance with the Utah newspaper, Deseret.
Dowayne Barlow, described by Excessive Nation Information as Lyle Jeffs’ aide, testified in opposition to the Jeffs. In response to Barlow, Jeffs ordered him to “reassign” the youngsters of males who had been expelled from the church, which Barlow mentioned he was uncomfortable with doing. After Barlow left, he mentioned that members of FLDS threatened his spouse Cheryl to return to FLDS or Jeffs would come after her.
Deseret reported that Lyle — like his brother, Warren — was “anticipated to supply for the religious and bodily wants of church members.”
At Jeffs’ sentencing, his public defender, Kathryn Nester, mentioned he had acquired no visits from household and had no cash in his commissary account. Nevertheless, Jeffs’ son Thomas was within the courtroom throughout his father’s sentencing and reportedly mentioned he hoped his father would use his jail time to “take into consideration issues.”
2. Considered one of His Wives Left with the Kids
In response to Thomas, he's one in all 63 youngsters that Lyle Jeffs had with seven of his wives.
A kind of wives, Charlene Jeffs, was a senior member of the church and Lyle’s first spouse. Nevertheless, she instructed ABC Information that she was banished from FLDS for complaining. Afterward, she filed for divorce and fought for custody of her youngsters, then-13-year-old daughter, Suzie, and then-17-year-old son, Amin, as a result of she didn’t need them uncovered to the church anymore.
“I've two youngsters proper now which might be underage that I actually need to get out of that. I need to get all of them out of that as a result of I don’t consider what they’re instructing anymore,” she instructed ABC.
In a listening to lined by TV station KUTV, her petition was learn aloud, which partially mentioned, “Underneath Lyle’s reign instead prophet, the FLDS church has change into much more disturbing than it was underneath Warren.” She additionally mentioned she believed they have been in peril of being malnourished, under-educated and doubtlessly sexually abused.
9 days after she requested for a wellness examine, Jeffs signed papers agreeing to provide her custodial guardianship.
3. He Is Serving A 5-12 months Sentence
In response to BBC, prosecutors mentioned many households residing underneath FLDS have been requested to provide their meals stamp profit playing cards to Jeffs, he used the cash to buy vehicles, extravagant dinners and different luxuries.
In a pre-sentence report, prosecutors mentioned that “Whereas members subsisted on meager portions of rice and noodles … (Jeffs had a) private chef and he usually ate prime rib, halibut, lobster, scallops, and different costly cuisines.”
In response to the indictment, Lyle’s brother, Seth, was one of many 11 others indicted within the fraud case.
A big share of FLDS members within the Quick Creek space obtain SNAP advantages, amounting to tens of millions of {dollars} in advantages per 12 months … Between 2011 and 2013, FLDS leaders directed members to divert their SNAP advantages to the FLDS Storehouse. These leaders, together with Lyle Jeffs, Seth Jeffs, John Wayman and Kimball Barlow, held conferences wherein they disseminated Storehouse protocols.
Lyle Jeffs was sentenced by U.S. District Decide Ted Stewart to 57 months in jail and three years of probation, and he was ordered to pay the U.S. Division of Agriculture $1 million in restitution, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
After his sentence, Jeffs mentioned, “I humbly settle for tasks for my actions.”
4. He Was A Fugitive For Practically A 12 months
Jeffs was charged with the fraud and cash laundering counts in 2016. Nevertheless, he fled after he was allowed to await trial on a modified home arrest and with a GPS monitoring machine. Authorities mentioned they consider he used olive oil to slide the monitor off and run.
His son, Thomas, instructed KUTV that he believed his father had modified his look, gotten a “burner” cellphone and was residing away from Utah. KUTV later reported {that a} pawnshop proprietor tipped the FBI off when Jeffs confirmed as much as pawn two pairs of pliers.
FBI Particular Agent in Cost Eric Barnhart mentioned Jeffs was arrested close to a marina in Yankton, South Dakota and located residing out of a more recent Ford F-150, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Barnhart additionally famous that Jeffs’ determination to flee would seemingly add one other felony cost to the a number of counts of fraud and cash laundering Jeffs was already dealing with.
After he was caught, he was held with out bond and placed on a Federal Marshals Service maintain, the Washington Publish reported.
5. He Is Believed to Be Estranged From His Imprisoned Brother, Warren Jeffs
GettyWarren Jeffs.
Lyle’s brother, Warren Jeffs, is the previous president of the church who was convicted of sexual assault in 2011; many consider he's nonetheless operating the church from behind bars.
In 2006, he was arrested after he was accused of arranging unlawful marriages between grownup males and underage women. Shortly after, he fled authorities and was positioned on the FBI’s Ten Most Needed Listing. Months later, he was discovered and stood trial in Utah for incest and having intercourse with minors. He was additionally charged with crimes in reference to two sexual assault instances in 2007 in Arizona.
Warren was convicted on two counts of rape in September 2007 and given a sentence of 10 years to life, however that conviction was overturned by the Utah Supreme Courtroom in July 2010 as a result of the jury had been given incorrect directions. Warren was then tried in Texas and convicted of the sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault of kids. He was sentenced to greater than 20 years.
In response to the Salt Lake Tribune, the brothers’ relationship grew to become strained shortly after Lyle was charged with fraud; paperwork filed in court docket described a “falling-out” between the 2.
Lyle’s son, Thomas instructed KUTV that he believed Warren lower his father off financially and ordered the remaining FLDS members to not assist him from jail as a result of he had not adopted Warren’s orders, which is a part of the rationale for his or her estrangement.
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