Polygamous 'prophet' nabbed in a red Caddy
 
By Petti Fong
The Globe and Mail - Toronto, Canada
 
VANCOUVER — The self-proclaimed prophet of a polygamous sect was arrested yesterday in Nevada when a state trooper pulled over his flashy red 2007 Cadillac Escalade for a minor traffic violation.

The followers of Warren Steed Jeffs believed their conduit to God would never be taken without a fight, and likely aided him in his year-long flight from authorities.

But in the end, the 50-year-old fugitive's arrest was mundane and uneventful.

Police pulled over the vehicle Monday night about eight kilometres north of Las Vegas after noticing its out-of-state temporary licence plate was partly obscured.

While the other two people in the vehicle, Mr. Jeffs's brother Isaac, and one of the polygamist's wives, Naomi Jeffs, produced identification, the fugitive gave an alias.

The trooper recognized Mr. Jeffs, who is on the FBI's top 10 most-wanted list and reportedly has 40 wives and 60 children. He is wanted in Arizona and Utah on charges of sexual misconduct for allegedly arranging marriages of underage girls. He is also accused of fraud.

Mr. Jeffs's sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, broke away from the Mormon Church when it abandoned polygamy more than a century ago.

Mr. Jeffs's arrest should prompt victims in British Columbia's polygamous community, located in Bountiful in the province's southeast, to testify against their abusers, B.C. Attorney-General Wally Oppal said yesterday.

"Hopefully, it will encourage some of them to come forward. There's a concern when you have these cult-like figures in an intimidating environment. Sometimes it's difficult for people to come forward and testify," Mr. Oppal said.

Police released the other two people in the SUV yesterday without charges. In the vehicle, they found a lavish assortment of goods and shopping bags from Target and Old Navy.

Recovered were stacks of $100 bills, two long-haired wigs -- one blonde and one auburn -- and a range of technical gadgets, including four Sony Vaio laptops and multiple new-model cellphones, a video iPod, GPS navigation systems and what appeared to be portable scanners.

The arrest of Mr. Jeffs, whose disappearance in 2005 sparked wide speculation about where he might be hiding and included searches in Canada and Mexico, proves that there are people willing to testify against the reclusive so-called prophet, Mr. Oppal said.

An RCMP investigation into possible criminal activities in the polygamous community near Creston, B.C., may shortly conclude with charges, the Attorney-General added.

"I'm cautiously optimistic that something will break for us as well."

In the coming days, Mr. Oppal will be talking to his counterparts in Arizona and Utah to see whether there are any B.C. connections to the case.

A rival polygamous community in Bountiful is led by Winston Blackmore, whose followers believe Mr. Jeffs is a false prophet.

Law enforcement authorities in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., stepped up monitoring of the polygamous communities there after Mr. Jeffs's arrest to watch for any fallout among followers.

Former Bountiful wife Debbie Palmer, who has left the community but still has relatives in all three locations, said she has heard that faithful lieutenants have been ordered to follow contingency plans in case Mr. Jeffs is arrested.

"People are very much in shock. They're terrified. He's been telling people that if he's arrested, it's a sign it's the end of the world. He said he will be hurt and destroyed by the jurisdiction," she said, but assured his followers he will rise again in the afterlife.

"I wish I could say I was elated that he's been arrested, but I'm not. I'm more worried than ever about what's happening inside the compounds."

Ms. Palmer said it's difficult to maintain communication with anyone inside the compound because Mr. Jeffs and his second-in-commands monitor discussions with outsiders.

Mr. Jeffs's followers shielded him from arrest, said Steve Jackson, a Nevada blogger who monitors polygamous activities.

Arizona Attorney-General Terry Goddard said the arrest shows that Mr. Jeffs is not above law enforcement and court orders. His followers should now know they have freedom.

"Many of them have lived in fear of this man who threatened them both here and the hereafter with damnation and penalty if they stand up against him," he told reporters at a news conference. "By this action, it's going to be much easier for women, especially those who had been victimized by Jeffs and his associates, to be able to step forward."

Activist Jancis Andrews who has lobbied the provincial government since 2004 to investigate and lay criminal charges in Bountiful, said B.C.'s Attorney-General should take a lesson from U.S. officials.

"Behind closed doors, it must be chaos right now. It's as if Canada's prime minister has suddenly been removed by another power," said Ms. Andrews, who is based in Sechelt, B.C., but works with volunteers in the nearby communities of Bountiful trying to empower women to leave their polygamous relationships.
 
GlobeandMail.com
Originally published August 30, 2006
 
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