SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 23, 16 (Gephardt Daily) — A federal judge has agreed to delay the upcoming food stamp fraud trial of 11 members and officials of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until October.
The trial, originally scheduled to begin next week, has been postponed due to a large amount of evidence collected by Federal prosecutors which has not yet been provided to defense attorneys.
“This is a complex case,” U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart wrote in his decision. “This case involves the prosecution of a large number of defendants and involves an enormous amount of discovery.”
Church official Lyle Jeffs and 10 additional members of the polygamist sect are charged in the fraud case. Prosecutors have said the group diverted at least $12 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).
Charges also include conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The FLDS officials and members are accused of cheating the government and taxpayers out of more than $12 million by getting church members to hand over food stamps to church leaders for use on unapproved items.
Stewart has scheduled the trial, expected to last at least a month, to begin Oct. 3.
