SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 7, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Lyle Steed Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been ordered to remain behind bars until his trial.
Jeffs was in court Monday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead for a detainment hearing and was represented by Kathryn N. Nester, who is a federal public defender.
Jeffs was arrested on Feb. 23 and is one of 11 leaders and members of the FLDS Church charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal officials allege church leaders diverted proceeds from SNAP ─ the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps ─ away from authorized beneficiaries.
The FLDS officials are charged with using those SNAP funds for unapproved purposes and ineligible beneficiaries.
Lyle Jeffs is the brother of former FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, who is currently serving a life sentence at the Utah State Prison for sexually assaulting two teen girls he said were his “spiritual wives,” and has been handling the daily affairs of the organization in his brother’s absence.
In addition to Jeffs, others charged in the indictment are John Clifton Wayman, 56, Kimball Dee Barlow, 51, Winford Johnson Barlow, 50, Rulon Mormon Barlow, 45, Ruth Peine Barlow, 41, and Preston Yates Barlow, age 41, all of Hildale; Seth Steed Jeffs, 42, of Custer, South Dakota; and Nephi Steed Allred, Hyrum Bygnal Dutson, and Kristal Meldrum Dutson, all 55, all of Colorado City.
The potential penalty for each conspiracy count is five years in prison. The money laundering count carries a potential penalty of 20 years in prison.
