Fugitive Polygamist Nabbed

Mormon Sect Leader Warren Jeffs Was On FBI's Most Wanted List

(CBS/AP)  The leader of a polygamist breakaway Mormon sect who was on the FBI's Most Wanted List has been arrested and faces sexual misconduct charges for allegedly arranging marriages between underage girls and older men, authorities said Tuesday.

Warren Steed Jeffs, 50, was found with cell phones, laptop computers, wigs and more than $50,000 in cash when he was arrested, authorities said Tuesday. Jeffs 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.

The leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was wanted in Utah and Arizona on suspicion of sexual misconduct for allegedly arranging marriages between underage girls and older men.

He assumed leadership of the sect in 2002 after the death of his 98-year-old father, Rulon Jeffs, who had 65 children by several women. Jeffs took nearly all his father's widows as his own wives. He is said to have at least 40 wives and nearly 60 children.

In May, the FBI placed Jeffs on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list with a $100,000 reward.

The other two people in the vehicle were identified as one of Warren Jeffs' wives, Naomi Jeffs, and a brother, Isaac Steed Jeffs, both 32, Staretz said. They were being interviewed by the FBI in Las Vegas but were not arrested.

Isaac Jeffs was driving a red Cadillac Escalade that was stopped for having no visible registration, said state Trooper Kevin Honea. An FBI agent was summoned to confirm Jeffs' identity, Honea said.

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Watch RAW video of a press conference for more details.

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Warren Jeffs was in federal custody in Las Vegas awaiting a court hearing on a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, Staretz said.

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard told KTAR-AM of Phoenix that Jeffs' arrest is "the beginning of the end of ... the tyrannical rule of a small group of people over the practically 10,000 followers of the FLDS sect." He predicted that it will inspire more people to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse.

Most of the church's members live in Hildale, Utah, and nearby Colorado City, Ariz.

Jeffs was indicted in June 2005 on an Arizona charge of arranging a marriage between a 16-year-old girl and a married man, and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He is charged in Utah with two felony counts of rape as an accomplice, for allegedly arranging the marriage of a teenage girl to an older man in Nevada.

The FLDS Church split from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when the mainstream Mormon Church disavowed plural marriage more than 100 years ago.

Jeffs has been called a religious zealot and dangerous extremist by those familiar with his church.

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.

"If this will bring an end to that, that will be a good thing," said Ward Jeffs, an older half-brother of Warren. "We're excited for the people down there, but we're very concerned about who might step up and take the leadership role."

It remained unclear Tuesday what would happen to the leadership of the church while Jeffs was incarcerated.

Federal and state law enforcement agencies will determine whether Jeffs should be extradited first to Utah or Arizona, said Steve Sorenson, a federal prosecutor in Salt Lake City. Utah's charges are more serious, and the federal unlawful flight charge was for leaving Utah, which could influence the decision, Sorenson said.

[kcreech3]

Why didn't they arrest Jeff's other passengers for aiding a fugitive?? Doesn't make sense to me that they didn't.

[tomflint69]

After Mr. Karr being held up in media now this person is gaining importance! I don't know why to give so much importance to them, we didn't give them before! why only in these days? these crimes are never new.

[long_rider]

A $100,000.00 reward for a polygamist, when they release hardened criminals daily (because of lack of jail space). What is going on here? With 40 wives and 60 kids, they would be doing him a favor by placing him in prison.

[senseable]

People are just becoming aware of the extent of damage and hurt these crimes cause. How would it be right to let them continue because they 'are not new,' and we didn't give importance to them before. Yeegads! Kcreech, you are right about questioning the freeing of the two others in the car as they were aiding and abetting a Federal fugitive. Can police depts only handle on thing at a time?

[juliehg-2009]

Sounds more like child a *** trafficking ring to me. I wonder how many marriages he "arranged" overseas and profited from?

I agree that with 40 wives and 60 kids they would be doing him a favor by putting him in prison. They would also be doing him a favor, if upon his arrival, they cut the whole thing off with the benefit of anesthesia. The other inmates will certainly do it without!!

[nynative1340]

Nothing has changed in the Mormon church. Joseph Smith started polygamy when he had his eye on a "pretty 16-year old." Of course, he used that age-old excuse "God told me to do it" to convince his "wife" to go along with it. And so it flourished until 1890 when Utah wanted statehood and ending polygamy was a condition the feds put on them. The Mormon church "reluctantly" ended polygamy for the sole purpose of allowing Utah to become a state, not because it was the right thing to do.

Nothing has changed. Molesting young girls went from being "legal" in the old church to being illegal and mostly under-ground in the fundamental church after Utah became a state.

The Mormon church is a "cult of Christianity." They don't even follow the Christian bible.

[jimbojack22-2009]

My brother is a police officer and argues that minor traffic stops are an effort to catch bad guys...looks like it works. Maybe we should send some traffic cops to Afganistan...maybe they'll pull over Osama for a broken tail light.

[jeepersnm17]

I take exception to what nynative1340 posted! I personally find those remarks misleading, ignorant, and anti semetic. One the Latter Day Saint church has nothing to do with those practice polygamy. Therefore when he said that the "Mormon church hasn't change" he was implying that the Latter Day Saint church was at the heart of this contraversary, which is absolutley false! Those who practice polygamy in the church, are excommunicated (meaning their membership is stripped from them including saving ordinances). I repeat the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not involved, which nynative1340 implied. Second I take exception to his claim that we are not christians and we don't follow the christian bible. Let me just say that we do follow the bible! and try our best to follow Christ, which makes us christians. I hope this clarifies any anti semetic misconceptions that nynative1340 may have published.

[elizabethmc-2009]

Quite simply, calling Warren Jeffs a Mormon is misleading and confusing to the vast majority of audiences who rightfully associate the term %u201CMormon%u201D with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Warren Jeffs Is Not a Mormon
Warren Jeffs is not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and never has been.Mormons Do Not Practice Polygamy
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued the practice of polygamy in 1890.
In 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley said: "I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members. They are in violation of the civil law. ...
There Is No Such Thing as a "Mormon Fundamentalist" or "Mormon Sect"
The term "Mormon" is a nickname commonly applied to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is no such thing as a "Mormon fundamentalist," nor are there %u201CMormon sects." A correct term to describe these polygamist groups is "polygamist sects." The inclusion of the word "Mormon" is misleading and inaccurate.
The Associated Press Stylebook states, "The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other Latter Day Saints churches that resulted from the split after [Joseph] Smith's death."

[lahedonista]

It is disingenuous to state FLDS are not LDS. They, and other polygamous cults in the intermountain west, are the legacy of LDS Founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. and his successor, Brigham Young.

Without Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, there would be no Warren Jeffs.

And whether mainstream Mormons like it or not is beside the point: the FLDS is most assuredly a branch of the Mormon church. A spin-off sect, to be sure, but without the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, there would not be a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

To claims Jeffs has never been a member of the mainstream church is a semantic sleight of hand. FLDS read the Book of Mormon and believe it to be another testament to Jesus Christ, in precisely the same manner as mainstream Mormons do. They have precisely the same theology regardint the Celestial Kingdon, i.e., that if you make it to the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom, you will become a god and you will also practice polygamy.

Period. End of list.

[lop0150]

As ElizabethMc says, calling Warren Jeffs a Mormon is misleading and confusing to the vast majority of audiences who rightfully associate the term "Mormon" with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Warren Jeffs Is Not a Mormon.
Warren Jeffs is not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and never has been. Mormons Do Not Practice Polygamy
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued the practice of polygamy in 1890.
In 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley said: "I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatsoever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members. They are in violation of the civil law..."
There Is No Such Thing as a "Mormon Fundamentalist" or "Mormon Sect"
There is no such thing as a "Mormon fundamentalist," nor are there "Mormon sects." A correct term to describe these polygamist groups is "polygamist sects." The inclusion of the word "Mormon" is misleading and inaccurate.
The Associated Press Stylebook states, "The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other Latter Day Saints churches that resulted from the split after Joseph Smith's death."
One more thing why do other churches protest when we have general conference? We sure as heck don't go around protesting other churches, and don't you dare say that we are with our missionary%u2019s.

[lahedonista]

Like I said, that is absolutely disingenuous. Warren Jeffs and his ilk practice a brand of Mormonism like that practiced by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Hence the term "fundamentalist".

Irrespective of whether the "mainstream" LDS Church has set aside the practice of polygamy in this life, does not change the fact that the doctrine and theology of the LDS and the FLDS are the same.

Section 132 of the D&C is still part of the mainstream scripture. The only difference is the FLDS still practice that "revelation".

And, lastly, the stylebook is a matter of politeness and opinion and has not one thing to do with the facts of the matter.

Protest the use of the phrase Fundamentalist Mormon all you want. It doesn't change the facts. And it doesn't fool anyone but mainstream Mormons, apparently.

[sherylhuggs1]

Again CBS gets it wrong. Warren Jeffs is not a "Mormon" and does not belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I take great offence in the fact that CBS can not check and verify their information a little better and get it right. With all of their sources you would think a simple thing like this would be easy to do. CBS should print a retraction and get the story right. Many people already have bad and misdirected thoughts about mormons and who we are. THis story does nothing to help and CBS should make sure to correct the mistake.

[sherylhuggs1]

Again CBS gets it wrong. Warren Jeffs is not a "Mormon" and does not belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I take great offence in the fact that CBS can not check and verify their information a little better and get it right. With all of their sources you would think a simple thing like this would be easy to do. CBS should print a retraction and get the story right. Many people already have bad and misdirected thoughts about mormons and who we are. THis story does nothing to help and CBS should make sure to correct the mistake.