FBI arrests Warren Jeffs' brother
 Seth Jeffs charged with harboring and concealing a federal fugitive
 
By Patrice St. Germain
patrices@thespectrum.com
 
ST. GEORGE - The FBI arrested the younger brother of Warren Jeffs,fugitive leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in Pueblo, Colo., on Monday.

Seth Steed Jeffs, 32, Hildale, was charged with harboring and concealing a federal fugitive - his brother, who disappeared after being charged on June 9 by a Mohave County Arizona Grand Jury with two counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. On June 27, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Warren Jeffs, the leader of the polygamous church, for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Seth Jeffs was first arrested last Friday after a report of a suspected intoxicated driver on Interstate 25 near U.S. 50 in Pueblo. Also arrested was Nathaniel Steed Allred. The two were charged with prostitution and solicitation for prostitution after Allred told a deputy that Jeffs had hired him for sexual companionship and was paid $5,000 for his sexual services.

According to an FBI affidavit, after Seth Jeffs was released, deputies discovered approximately $142,000 in U.S. currency in his vehicle along with documents and sealed envelopes. Many of the envelopes were addressed to "The Prophet" or "Warren Jeffs" or similar variations of those names along with a glass container fashioned into a donation jar. A photograph of Warren Jeffs was affixed to the container along with a label that read, in part, "Pennies for the Prophet."

Once the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office realized Warren Jeffs was a wanted felon, they contacted the FBI to assist in the investigation.

When Seth Jeffs contacted the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office about recovering his vehicle, he agreed to return to Pueblo from Castle Rock, Colo., to discuss the status of the investigation. He also agreed to a voluntary interview with the FBI and during the interview, said he is a "messenger" for the church and was delivering the documents and currency from church headquarters in Hildale to another church headquarters in Texas and acknowledged the items addressed to "The Prophet" and Warren Jeffs were intended for his brother.

On Monday he was charged with the federal offenses.

The FBI affidavit states that Seth Jeffs is aware his brother is a federal fugitive but does not know the whereabouts of his brother. Furthermore, he said neither he nor any other member of the congregation would ever assist law enforcement in locating Warren Steed Jeffs because, "It would be stupid to tell anyone where he is because he would get caught."

Gary Engels, an investigator for the Mohave County Attorney's office who has been working on a variety of investigations in Colorado City for the last year, said the arrest of Seth Jeffs helps his cases in several ways.

"It brings to the forefront that hiding, assisting or aiding Warren Jeffs is not just a game," Engels said. "There are going to be consequences for helping him (Jeffs). I think it would be a whole lot better if he turned himself in and answered to the charges."

Since June, the Mohave County Attorney's Office obtained indictments against eight Colorado City men for their participation in underage spiritual but non-legal marriages to girls under the age of 18.

In addition, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff successfully petitioned the courts in May to freeze assets of the United Effort Plan, the financial arm of the FLDS church, and removed its trustees, which included Warren Jeffs.

In May, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard served a criminal search warrant on Colorado City Unified School District No. 14. During the search, agents for the office took boxes of financial records and other documents and computer equipment.

Despite all that has occurred in the last several months, Engels said he would rate the arrest of Seth Steed Jeffs as "very important."

"I'm not sure if this will bring me any closer to Warren Jeffs, but it will help me in a lot of ways," Engels said.

Sam Brower, a private investigator who has been working on civil cases against Warren Jeffs, the United Effort Plan, the FLDS Church and Sam Barlow, said the arrest was a huge break for law enforcement.

"I don't think this information could have been obtained any other way and the information is probably going to be useful for a long time to come," Brower said. "But it's really too bad people are taking the heat for Warren Jeffs because he is too afraid to come out in the open and defend himself, his people and his religion and instead chooses to hide."
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published November 1, 2005
 
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