FLDS Church Leader Lyle Jeffs in Jail a Year After Fleeing Federal Custody

Lyle Jeffs, a leader in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), is currently in custody in South Dakota, nearly a year after fleeing federal authorities in Utah. According to sources, Jeffs, 56, was located in Minnehaha County Jail in Sioux Falls, where he is being held without bond on a Federal Marshals Service hold. The warrant for his arrest was issued by a United States District Court.

Jeffs escaped custody in 2016, just weeks after a judge allowed him to await trial from a home in Salt Lake County. He had been released from jail on June 9, 2016, under a home confinement order that permitted him to leave for medical appointments, religious services, and work. The order was part of his plea deal for conspiracy charges related to a multi-million dollar food stamp scheme and money laundering.

Lyle Jeffs is the brother of Warren Jeffs, the leader of the FLDS church, who is currently incarcerated for child rape. Warren Jeffs was convicted of raping an underage bride in what his religion considers a “spiritual marriage.” DNA evidence confirmed he fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl in 2008. He is serving a life sentence plus 20 years in prison.

The U.S. Attorney in Utah issued a warrant for Lyle Jeffs’ arrest after he absconded from home confinement. The FBI led the search for him in June 2016 with assistance from local and federal law enforcement. Warren Jeffs’ son, Thomas Jeffs, told KUTV in 2016 that FLDS followers and family were expected to help him evade authorities, with those who did not assisting facing consequences from the FLDS community.

Private investigator Sam Brower posted a letter he claimed was between the Jeffs brothers on Facebook months ago, suggesting ongoing communication between the two. Lyle Jeffs was one of 11 FLDS members charged with conspiracy to commit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits fraud and money laundering. His case highlights the legal and ethical challenges faced by the FLDS community, which has been under scrutiny for its practices and leadership.

The FLDS, a sect of Mormonism, has been the subject of legal and social controversies, particularly regarding its leadership and teachings. The community’s actions and the legal proceedings against its members reflect broader issues of accountability, justice, and the protection of vulnerable individuals. The case of Lyle Jeffs underscores the complex interplay between religious beliefs and legal systems.

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