Fugitive polygamist leader arrested

[Sal316]

LAS VEGAS - The fugitive leader of a polygamist Mormon sect has been arrested in southern Nevada.


Warren Steed Jeffs, 50, was taken into custody after he and two other people were pulled over late Monday by a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper on Interstate 15 just north of Las Vegas, FBI spokesman David Staretz said.

Story Here




Good.





*edited to include link*

[tuvor]

1. Out with Karr, in with this guy.

[Sal316]

3. Unlike Karr, this guy is guilty.

He's been on the "Ten Most Wanted" for a while, and living in AZ, the story of Colorado City is well known here.

Good riddance.

Anyone who forces young girls into plural marriages and kicks boys out so there are more girls for the old men won't ever have my sympathy.

[LynneSin]

Absolutely, this guy is a serious creep

I read a story (it was either in NYTimes or Salon) a few weeks about about the young boys excommunicated from the FLDS church (well more like cult). This boys weren't even adults and they were forced to live out there on their own and away from their family with no education and no source of income. Pretty much they were made to be street children unwanted by anyone.

Jeffs would routinely reassign wives and children from one husband to another based strictly on the whims of Jeffs' relationship with the man.

Have you ever seen HBO's "Big Love"? It's a fictional family but they paralleled much of what happens in FTDS practice including many of the things I mentioned above.

It's disgusting and this guy is a real creep. The sad thing is his followers are so warped they'll just find someone else to take his place

[eccles12]

68. Is he not a sex slave trader? nt

[tuvor]

9. Other guilty parties should get similar news coverage.

Like bush and his cronies, for instance.

Yeah, I know: "Dream on."

[4dsc]

18. So about these arranged marriages

shouldn't the law go after these scumbags that were the recipients of these young brides??

[Sal316]

19. They have been.

The things that've been holding them up are:

1) The Colorado City PD are all members.
2) They're well armed.
3) Getting FLDS people to testify against them is nearly impossible.
4) Fear of another Waco.

[LostinVA]

20. Bingo

[Harry Monroe]

7. No, out with Katrina...

...and in with Jeffs. Tabloid journalism rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!:sarcasm: :banghead:

[havocmom]

12. We have a WINNAH!

Thanks to all our other contestants.

Seems unlikely this guy could hide out so well in this day & age then suddenly get captured when the junta needs to change page one on every newspaper and TV pundit pap.

Happens a lot; news so bad even corporate media can't ignore it, then viola! a sensational story that has little impact on most people but is juicy and big on hitting emotional trigger points. Knocks the really telling stories of corruptions and failure at the highest levels off page one, over and over again... No group of crooks is this lucky.

Remember Rove's mention that THEY make the news? He wasn't kidding.

[Harry Monroe]

17. The October suprise is coming

'Seems unlikely this guy could hide out so well in this day & age then suddenly get captured when the junta needs to change page one on every newspaper and TV pundit pap."

Havocmom, you've hit the nail on the head!! I predict Osama being caught and/or killed in October. What timing!!! I truly believe that the Administration may know exactly where he is, but is just waiting for the opportune time to strike. Again, Rove will snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

[havocmom]

25. ::smiling with twinkle in eye:: Glad SOMEBODY had their coffee today

and is awake enough to read signs along the roadway ;)

Gotta keep the folks busy so they don't notice all the voter rolls bein' messed with.

Vote fraud this time will probably be less machine (people are getting wise to that) and more old fashioned denial of rights.

Palast on deployed Black soldiers having absentee ballots tossed

A confidential campaign directed by GOP party chiefs in October 2004 sought
to challenge the ballots of tens of thousands of voters in the last presidential election, virtually all of them cast by residents of Black-majority precincts. Files from the secret vote-blocking campaign were obtained by BBC Television Newsnight, London. They were attached to emails accidentally sent by Republican operatives to a non-party website.

One group of voters wrongly identified by the Republicans as registering to vote from false addresses: servicemen and women sent overseas.

Here’s how the scheme worked: The RNC mailed these voters letters in envelopes marked, “Do not forward”, to be returned to the sender. These letters were mailed to servicemen and women, some stationed overseas, to their US home addresses. The letters then returned to the Bush-Cheney campaign as “undeliverable.”

The lists of soldiers of “undeliverable” letters were transmitted from state headquarters, in this case Florida, to the RNC in Washington. The party could then challenge the voters’ registration and thereby prevent their absentee ballots being counted.

Now, friends, think about all those laptops that went missing. Think about vets' data and who might be in hospitals and not home to check mail. Think about the 80% of active duty personnel who's data got 'lost'. Think about the DOT laptop with data on thousands of displaced residents of NOLA. Think about the laptops missing with data on all sorts of Federal Employees - and the party in power who would be able to access who is away from home - working in the field...

Think about election integrity and forget the Rove side shows.

But, yeah, look for a biggie come October. Much whoop-la and little real impact on anyone. The magician's lovely assistant will be shaking T& A all over the place to keep us from seeing the magician's real tricks.

[drm604]

24. Come on people, not every damned news story is a plant by the BFEE.

Do you honestly believe that they were letting this guy run free (with the cooperation of numerous law enforcement agencies at all levels of government) just to hold him in reserve to act as a distraction when it became necessary? We need to keep some perspective here.

[havocmom]

29. I honestly believe the junta will do/say anything to protect themselves

And diversion of public attention is critical to that end.

Perspective? How much criminal behavior at the highest levels does it take to give perspective?

Cheney won't be taken from power. He has too much to face if that happens.

Look at the cycles. Deductive reasoning applied to the news cycles and the fact that the GOP carefully dismantled FCC rules preventing limited entities from owning massive blocks of media say it is highly likely the news IS manipulated. Perspective, indeed.

[LynneSin]

31. I believe this asshole has ruined the lives of hundred of children

do you have kids? How would you like if your kids were just randomly assigned to another family because Jeffs had a grudge against your spouse?

Do you have a daughter? How would you like if Jeffs just married that little girl off to some man much older that her, perhaps even to himself?

Do you have a son? How would you like your son was suddenly excommunicated from the church and your family to live a life on the streets with no money, no home and an education provided by the Church (which pretty much means no education).

This is a sick fuck who has ruined the lives of hundreds of children. People do not get married without his permission (in fact he officiates all of these ceremonies) nor do they choose their own spouse or determine if they can keep the children that they have. I don't even want to call this a church - it's a sick, warped cult that needs to be infiltrated and dismantled.

This is not another Karr, this guy is extremely guilty of his crimes which have been well documented. Hell, HBO made a TV show that practically mirrors this cult and it's followers (Harry Dean Stanton playing the part of the 'prophet').

If this spares the lifes of future children brought into this cult then good riddance and rot in jail for life you sick fuck (ie - Jeffs)

[havocmom]

33. Hey, I am glad they brought the guy in

Just wondering whether it could have been done sooner or if law enforcement was held up until the junta needed a headline.

Many family members in law enforcement. I know they get their hands tied by political entities. Then, they get unleashed from time to time when political entities need a bit of diversion.

LynnSin, I am no apologist for the cult leaders who abuse and exploit. Your nerve is a bit raw on this story, and I don't blame you for that. But please read my posts again. This story does not affect as many people in proportion to the time the media will give it as other stories which are being neglected.
It is the timing I cast aspersions on, not justice being sought against evil men.

[LynneSin]

34. I know but sometimes the bad guy get captured

And it has nothing to do with the timing or what's happening in this world.

I've already been outed in USA Today for questioning the time of when events happened. I still think US pressured Great Britian to move up the timing on arresting those terror suspects knowing that some of them didn't even have passports, tickets or the needed supplies (but I am glad they were caught nonetheless).

But sometimes crooks are captured. Let's be grateful he's off the streets not abusing children anymore

[drm604]

32. Yes, perspective.

So they have a list of fugitives that they are allowing to run free. Then, when something happens that they want to suppress, they pull a name from the list, call the local highway patrol, tell them where and when he'll be available, and give them the all-clear to finally pick the guy up?

Does every law enforcement agency in the country have a "hands-off" list of fugitives they're not allowed to touch until they get the all clear? And this is kept secret from the general public?

What they are willing to do and what they can do are two different things.

[Harry Monroe]

35. Wouldn't put it past 'em...

[Bill McBlueState]

49. thing is, though

They could have arrested Jeffs any time between 2001 and 2008, and we could have found something in the news that we could have accused Rove of trying to conceal. You make it sound like there's some kind of coincidence here, when you could have made your exact post any time during the Bush administration.

[warrens]

22. This ain't tabloid journalism

This guy is a home-grown terrorist. Look into his background. People who cross him don't live to ripe old ages.

[Harry Monroe]

27. No its not...

...yet. Just as the Jon Benet Ramsey case wasn't tabloid journalism until it took on a life of its own. Look for this to be the same.

[havocmom]

30. He is that

And it seems likely they have known where he is for some time.

He moves a lot of money around. If it took them THIS long to find him, then all their Bill of Rights busting law enforcement sure as hell won't be fast enough to protect America from other terrorists.

[thereismore]

2. Some steed this guy is. nt

[Coventina]

4. Good news. He should rot in jail the rest of his sorry life.

He's injured so many, many lives and stolen millions of dollars from taxpayers.

[Fierce]

5. Good.

Put him in jail until he rots. This man is evil.

[leveymg]

6. What were those3 doing in that car that got him arrested for polygamy?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Critters2]

37. They were driving without license plates. nt

[LostinVA]

8. Now, THAT'S a pedophile sociopath they need to lock away FOREVER

Thank the gods....

[LynneSin]

10. It's a shame some folks here at DU think of him as another Karr

Jeffs is a creep, a raptist and has ruined the lives of hundreds of children (from excominicating rival boys, some not even adults from the church).

Hope to see him rot in jail. He looks like he'll be involved in polygamy of his own in jail - being the bitch for multiple partners in prison

[muryan]

11. i believe thats called polyandry. n/t

[LynneSin]

13. Poly something - I hope that animal suffers

n/t

[muryan]

15. oh he will...

just look at the guy. I think bill gates could smack this guy around.

[LostinVA]

21. I know -- this guy is truly, truly evil

[Bill McBlueState]

50. I'm glad they arrested him

But rape is rape, even if it happens in prison.

[blondeatlast]

56. If they had any idea of the guy's history. Creepy as hell.

Weapons stockpiles-yes, he has them.
Payoffs to government officials-he keeps the entire northern Arizona border in a pretty good state of living.
Child molestation-yes, yes, yes indeed. The stories from young women and men who have made it out of AZ City would make your skin crawl.
Welfare fraud-tens of millions of hits to the AZ and Utah economy.

Sorry, naysayers, but this Arizonan is dancing over his arrest, and I don't care if the local news covers nothing else.

Care to join me?

[bicentennial_baby]

64. So you support rape?

It's a crime. I don't care who it is, I don't see how you can wish that on anyone. :puke:

[Warpy]

14. Good! That bastard needs to be taken off the streets

and away from his nutcase cult.

He thinks he's Jesus.

Somehow I don't think the real Jesus would approve of a pedophile ring hiding behind the cross he died on.

[Dulcinea]

62. Even worse, his disciples think he's a prophet.

Maybe even the Second Coming. Wonder what'll happen to all those people when their false idol is exposed?

[PurityOfEssence]

16. To err is human...

...but to get away with serious crap, you need to evoke religion.

[Tight_rope]

23. These so-called religious creeps need to be put to death!

I don't want them in jail where they can spread more of their poison!

[LynneSin]

28. The only thing Jeffs will be spreading in prison

if I described would probably get this thread locked.

Child abusers do not get treated well in prison. I hope he lives a long life suffering some of the same horrors that he has inflicted on thousands of women and children

[Ian David]

26. He looks like Rep. Stephen .F. Lynch (Dino-MA)

And they both look a little like John Mark Karr:

[kurth]

36. Jeffs is a well-known perp

who needs to get raped in jail.

[Tansy_Gold]

38. No one needs to get raped in jail or anywhere else

I do not and will not subscribe to the vengeance mode that seems to run rampant through the fundamentalist religions.

By saying that Jeffs "needs" to be raped, one is also saying that his rapists are doing a good thing, that rapists are in fact "needed" in our society.

Do I believe there are evil people out there who are incapable of being rehabilitated? Yes.

Do I believe there are evil people out there who should be removed from society for their own sake and the sake of everyone else? Yes.

Do I believe there are evil people out there who have committed such heinous crimes that they should be tortured and/or put to death? No.

Nothing that can be done to Warren Jeffs will erase the harm he's done to others. If we can't undo the harm he's done, we should not ourselves do more harm, lest we be or become as evil as he.


Tansy Gold, who really and truly does not want to be or become evil

[LostinVA]

45. It sickens me to read this garbage on DU

And, it IS garbage. Rape is not a punishment, rape is not a prison sentence, and rape shouldb';t be wished on anyone -- even prisoners. IT is a violent crime.

Ugh.

[Mike03]

46. I agree

Thanks for saying this.

My fantasy about people who engage in evil activities is that if they are convicted and imprisoned they can redeem themselves through self-analysis, reflection and therapy. I don't get any kind of thrill out of fantasizing about evil people becoming victims of evil.

[LostinVA]

47. Thanks, Mike

And, even if they're truly evil and can't redeem themselves in some way, I can't wish violence and torture on tehm... especially something they "deserve," like rape -- wtf kind of message is that???

And, "evil" people can be redeemed: by all accounts, Patricia Krenwrinel is truly rehabbed, redeemed, etc... and, ironies of ironies, she's the only one of the Manson people who says she doesn't deserve freedom.

[Mike03]

48. Yes

In fact, using that word "evil" makes me uncomfortable. Some books I am reading now really give me doubt that it's possible to make judgments like that, although I know that's a very contentious view.

Thank you for your posts. They have given me some courage to be more honest in my own expressions of what I think.

[katamaran]

39. Confiscated: $54,000 in cash, 15 cell phones, 3 wigs, 4 laptops...

$54,000 in cash stacked in bricks, 15 cell phones, 3 wigs, 4 laptops, multiple pairs of sunglasses, disguises, GPS satellite, two suitcases filled with envelopes presumably stuffed with MORE money, riding in a luxury SUV (Escalade) with NO PLATES, speeding down a Nevada highway at night....

...and since he's white, he's not a terrorist.

Meanwhile, a couple brown guys who buy cell phones wholesale and sell them to convenience stores are terrorists. A Hispanic man carrying a large sum of cash to buy a truck is stopped by highway patrol, arrested, held for weeks, and has his cash taken away. A lightly tanned person wears a shirt with a couple words in Arabic on it and is arrested as a terror suspect at an airport.

If Warren Jeffs were brown instead of white, they would slap so many charges on him, he wouldn't NEED to worry about the child rape charges.

Sheesh.

[saigon68]

58. Absolutely this guy is hundreds of times worse than Karr

He is well connected too.

[fortyfeetunder]

71. Driving with No license plates?

I am surprised he didn't get pulled over sooner. Per your analysis, probably no surprise.

[w4rma]

40. Good. (nt)

[illumn8d]

41. Glad to see this

Hope you enjoy the big house, Mr. Jeffs.

[distantearlywarning]

42. Finally, some good news in the news.

This guy is a certified, Grade A a$$hole. I'm from AZ originally and have heard the horror stories about Colorado City and Hilldale for many years. I hope they lock him up and throw away the key forever.

[rocktivity]

43. There must be joy in MediaFrenzyVille

Now that Michael Karr has struck out.

:eyes:
rocknation

[blondeatlast]

59. If you only knew.

We here in Arizona are thrilled to see this, and I don't give a flying fuck if it's all they cover for the next month.

The man is a child molestor hundreds of times over and a genuine threat.

Those "women" he married aren't old enough to give their consent--not by a long shot.

[rocktivity]

65. Your joy is justifiable.

Theirs is an excuse not to talk about how badly President Potty-Stop is doing!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Mike03]

44. This is very big news here in AZ

As others have said, unlike Karr, this man is a very serious menace to society who had destroyed the lives of untold numbers of young women and their families, and it's not "fake news" to announce this guy's apprehension. Anyone interested in the context surrounding Jeffs and Colorado City might wish to check out Jon Krakauer's excellent book "Under The Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith." Polygamy is not the specific topic of this non-fiction book but it is covered in some depth.

[Bill McBlueState]

51. a second nomination for "Under the Banner of Heaven"

Krakauer is an excellent writer, no matter the topic.

[Mike03]

52. Yes, thanks.

It is an excellent book indeed, and incredibly timely and topical. His premise is that fundamentalism is homicidally dangerous regardless of which religion inspires fundamentalism.

Awesome book.

[LostinVA]

54. I third it

[blondeatlast]

57. A nod for Jana Bommersbach, too, who has written extensively

about Jeffs.

Search at your library, the spelling is correct.

[LostinVA]

60. Her website is terrific

[LostinVA]

61. And Flora Jessop

[Catchawave]

53. HOW ???

..In THIS country, why are these Waco Whacko types allowed to exist ? Never heard of this til I tuned into Anderson Cooper...:wow:

So should "marriage ammendments" prevent this sort of churchy approved/ culty/wife/child abusive thing before they attack the more normal relationships between two men or two women?

What am I missing in this bizzarro world ?

[LostinVA]

55. This group -- and their offshoots -- have existed for most of this

century. Mainly in Colorado City, AZ, but also in Utah, Mexico, BC, etc. Warren Jeffs is just much more successful than his predecessors -- and has gotten more media exposure.

They do the whole Ruby Ridge thing, arrest black dudes who have done nothing in Miami, but have let this crap go on for decades. Ugh.

They suck.

"Under the Banner of Heaven" and (scarily enough) "Dr. Phil" have done alot in recant years to bring Jeffs' little fiefdom to the masses.

[Cerridwen]

63. I'm gonna kick this puppy back to the front page with additional

information on this "person" so the naysayers can see the scope of this "church" currently run by Jeffs.

It is not limited to a "small" community that is on the AZ/UT border.

Jeffs is the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, headquartered in the twin communities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz.

There are also compounds in southwest Texas,

The church members began arriving at a former exotic game ranch just northeast of Eldorado and about 40 miles south of San Angelo about 2 1/2 years ago and starting building their fortress-like YFZ Ranch, short for Yearning For Zion. An 80-foot tall gleaming white temple dominates the property where Doran said about 70 people live

South Dakota

People linked to Jeffs have living quarters in a secretive compound near Pringle (South Dakota).

Canada

The sect, a group of self-described "fundamentalist Mormons," includes the 1,000-member community of Bountiful near Creston, B.C. That community was headed by its former bishop, Winston Blackmore, who has more than 20 wives and at least 103 children.

He was excommunicated by Jeffs several years ago, leaving the community split.

And perhaps even a "safe house" in Nevada

Most of the church's members live in Hildale, Utah, and adjoining Colorado City, Ariz., but authorities have said they believe Jeffs had "safe houses" in four other states _ including Nevada _ and Canada.

Where he also has businesses which may fund his "church."

"Jacob Jessop is one of Warren Jeffs loyalists, and one of his money men, if you will," Flora Jessop said.

Law enforcement authorities believe that funds from polygamist business enterprises have been used to support Warren Jeffs and to help him remain a fugitive.

In recent years, several polygamist outposts have popped up in Southern Nevada, drawn by explosive growth. Records show Jacob Jessop's construction firm, JNJ, is licensed in Nevada but based in Colorado City.

Since 2004, it has earned more than $7 million on nine projects commissioned by the Las Vegas Valley Water District, including ongoing work at the massive Springs Preserve operation. JNJ has also won contracts with the city of Las Vegas and Clark County.

A Utah machine shop that authorities say has ties to one of the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted fugitives is changing its name and moving to Las Vegas.

Western Precision Inc. is among the biggest employers of the polygamist Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz. The border towns are home to 5,000-8,000 followers of fugitive church prophet Warren Jeffs, who was placed on the FBI's Top Ten list in May on charges of sexual misconduct with a minor and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Attorneys for Western Precision filed court documents in early June stating that the company would move to Las Vegas by August. Days after the filing, Western Precision changed its name to Newera Manufacturing Inc., according to the Utah Division of Corporations. On July 3, Newera Manufacturing was registered in Nevada as a foreign corporation, according to the secretary of state's office. link

In addition to polygyny, Jeffs has also been responsible for "arranging marriages" for 13 year old girls, and "casting out" those men who would "compete" for brides or who were "disobedient".

During his four-year rule, the number of underage marriages — some involving girls as young as 13 — escalated into the hundreds, church dissidents said. They said that although the sect has long practiced the custom of arranged marriages, young girls were rarely married off until Warren Jeffs came to power.

People expelled from the community said young men were sent away to avoid competition for brides. Older men were cast out for alleged disobedience, and their wives and children were reassigned by Jeffs to new husbands and fathers, the former members said. link

It is also alleged that Jeffs' "communities" and businesses are engaging in welfare fraud, tax dodging, domestic violence and child abuse.

The activities in the community have often appeared out of reach of law enforcement. Members of plural families have in the past come to the attention of state and local officials through occasional allegations of welfare fraud, tax dodging, domestic violence and child abuse.

But officials have said that cases were difficult to build, with trouble finding witnesses to testify.

In Hildale earlier this year, thousands of polygamists were engaged in a standoff over overdue property taxes of about $1.3 million for hundreds of houses.

And just in case that isn't enough to make this more than a "local" issue, perhaps you'd like to hear that the local and, in some cases, state "authorities" in the areas in which some of these compounds are located may perhaps be aiding and abetting Jeffs and his followers.

The state of Arizona is contributing to the secrecy. The state Department of Health Services and the Department of Economic Security have been quietly providing services to assist the children and families of fumarase victims for more than 15 years.

And may be hiding an the occurrence of a genetic disease known as fumarase deficiency.

Tarby and a team of doctors from Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix and the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson began researching the disease and soon discovered that fumarase deficiency was occurring in at least two other families living in the same isolated community that practiced an unusual custom.

Hmm, looks a bit more involved than "local" news of the diversion kind to me.

P.S.

polygamy n.

1. The condition or practice of having more than one spouse at one time. Also called plural marriage.

polygyny n.

1. the practice or condition of having more than one wife at one time.


These people are practicing polygyny not as the media keeps saying, polygamy. The women are NOT allowed multiple husbands.

[LostinVA]

66. Only one thing you forgot to highlight in a great post:

Law enforcement in the area are part of the whole thing: they also have plural wives, some underage... yet are expected to actually help stop the illegal activities they themselves benefit from. And the mayor, too, btw.

Many consider the BC group to be even whackier than Jeffs, believe it or not...

[Cerridwen]

67. You are correct. I missed that angle, other than a brief

acknowledgement about the state of AZ DHS.

I didn't see any articles in my google searches that elaborated on that area of abuse. I'm glad to see posters in this thread brought it out. Also a couple of posts talking about some of Jeffs' dissenters coming up "missing."

The scope of criminal activity and conspiracy surrounding this groups is truly frightening. I've even heard rumors of the main church "supporting" this group. I hate to delve into that area though as it tends to look like LDS/Mormon bashing.

I hope he goes to trial and that all this comes out and becomes part of the public record. Then all we have to do is get the information out. Oughta be easy with this corporate media? /sarcasm

[Cerridwen]

69. UPDATE: POLYGAMIST LEADER: Jeffs bound for Utah

The 50-year-old leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints faces charges in Utah and Arizona, but he will be prosecuted first in the Beehive State mainly because officials there can set a higher bail amount than is allowed in Arizona, officials said. {note: he'll be extradited to Washington County, Utah, see below as to why this is of concern}

<snip>

...in eight recent cases of child sexual abuse in Washington County, all of the defendants were sentenced to probation.

In a recent case in Mohave County, FLDS member Kelly Fischer was sentenced to 45 days in jail after being convicted of having sex with his 16-year-old wife {sic}, who was two decades younger. Prosecutors had asked for prison time.

<snip>

Jessop said witnesses such as Shapley are easily swayed because they do not feel protected by authorities, especially when the men they testify against receive light sentences. Las Vegas Review Journal article

edit to add info about Washington County.

[OregonDem]

70. How long until his followers drink the koolaide?

Warren is a God to them.