This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A federal judge on Friday released Seth Jeffs, a full brother of imprisoned Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints President Warren Jeffs, from jail.
Seth Jeffs is still charged with two counts of attempted conspiracy stemming from what prosecutors claim was a scheme involving food stamp benefits. His release helps the case for another full brother, Lyle Jeffs, who is the last of the FLDS food stamp fraud defendants being held in jail and whose status will be reviewed Wednesday before Judge Ted Stewart. Stewart has now released three suspects in the case, who were initially ordered detained by other judges.
Seth Jeffs' release drew immediate criticism from Sam Brower, the private investigator who pursued Warren Jeffs and continues to investigate the FLDS. Brower said the Jeffs family think they are above the law and are willing to lie, flee and tamper with witnesses.
"The Jeffs family, the FLDS, are the most notorious criminal organization in the West," Brower said.
Federal prosecutors have sought to keep in jail pending trial the Jeffs brothers as well as two other FLDS businessmen, John Wayman and Nephi Allred, arguing they aided Warren Jeffs evade law enforcement a decade ago and had direct access to cash and an FLDS network of houses scattered across the West.
Defense attorneys have countered that being released on one's own recognizance is standard for white-collar crimes charged in federal court, the evidence anyone aided Warren Jeffs is old and, except for Seth Jeffs, their clients were never charged with any crimes related to aiding a fugitive. He pleaded guilty to a felony count of concealing a person from arrest and was sentenced to three years of probation.
In 2005, Seth Jeffs was pulled over in Colorado and found to have hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, multiple cell phones and letters intended for Warren Jeffs.
Stewart is requiring Seth Jeffs to wear a GPS ankle monitor, reside in St. George for at least the next 30 days, but will allow him to travel to South Dakota to conduct water testing if he notifies U.S. marshals first. Seth Jeffs leads the FLDS congregation in that state and petitioned the state to allow the FLDS compound to increase the size of its well.
In all, 11 FLDS members were indicted in the food stamp case. Seven defendants were released after initial jail bookings.
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