| FLDS prophet Warren Jeffs named to FBI Most Wanted list Feds say Jeffs should be considered armed and dangerous | |
| The Eldorado Success | |
The hunt for Warren Jeffs, fugitive prophet and leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) intensified yet again this week when the FBI named Jeffs to their Most Wanted list for August. FBI Special Agent Bill Endorf of the San Angelo field office had no comment Tuesday concerning Jeffs or his possible where abouts. However, a “Wanted” poster (see poster at right) on the FBI website noted that Jeffs and as many of thirty of his followers might be in Leesburg, Florida attempting to acquire more property for the FLDS. A confidential source discounted the Florida information, however, and told The Success on Tuesday that Jeffs had been in the Colorado City, Arizona area as recently as last week, where he allegedly performed a marriage between one of his male followers and an underage girl. Sheriff David Doran told The Success that he was aware of the FBI’s interest in Jeffs, whose followers are busy building a massive temple on the YFZ Ranch near Eldorado. Doran noted that Jeffs is wanted on a federal warrant for Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution. He is also wanted in Arizona on charges of Sexual Conduct with a Child and Conspiracy to Commit Sexual Conduct with a Child. Those charges are related to Jeffs arranging and performing polygamous marriages involving underage girls. “This Florida information is fairly new and I’m not sure how much credibility to give it,” Doran said. “I don’t think anyone outside of Jeff’s circle of most loyal followers has any idea where he is.” As for the possibility that Jeffs might be hiding out at the YFZ Ranch, Doran said he has his doubts. “I don’t think he’s here at this time,” Doran added. “But, we are working closely with the Texas Rangers and the DPS Special Crimes unit to monitor things at the YFZ Ranch.” Of particular concern to lawmen is the possibility that Warren Jeffs may be surrounded by armed followers. The FBI wanted poster even notes that Jeffs “may travel with a number of loyal and armed bodyguards.” The poster warns that Jeffs should be considered armed and dangerous. To view the FBI Most Wanted List for August visit the agency’s website at: http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/fugitive/aug2005/aug05fug.htm One of Jeffs followers and close relatives, David Allred, came to Eldorado in late 2003, and purchased 1,691 acres of land four miles north-northeast of Eldorado on County Road 300. Allred at first claimed the land was intended as a hunting retreat where he could entertain customers of his construction company. Later, after news of his association with Jeffs became public, Allred came forward to announce that the property was bought on behalf of the FLDS Church and that it would soon be home to some of the church’s followers. Since that time FLDS members have built more than a dozen large homes on the property, also, a large meeting hall and a gargantuan temple that looms high above everything on the property. Private Investigator Sam Brower of Cedar City, UT has been pursuing Jeffs for a long time. He told The Success Tuesday afternoon, “I don’t know where Warren is, but I’m glad the FBI is getting serious about finding him. The best thing for everyone concerned would be for Warren to turn himself in. School House Blues As if Warren Jeffs didn’t have enough problems, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard filed a petition last Friday charging Colorado City Unified School District (CCUSD) officials in Colorado City, AZ with gross financial mismanagement and requesting the School District be placed in receivership. “We now have a tool in place to help our children receive the education they need and deserve,” Goddard said. “The financial mismanagement of the Colorado City School District is egregious. It is time to put its finances in competent hands.” The petition follows the enactment this spring of a state law that allows the Arizona State Board of Education to place a school district in receivership if it finds evidence of financial mismanagement. The new law takes effect Friday. The petition, filed with the State Board of Education, outlines charges that include:
It was noted that in 2002 CCUSD purchased a 210 Cessna airplane for $200,000. School officials allocated an additional $20,000 for airplane repairs, and hired Ladell Bistline, son of then school board president F.L. Bistline, to pilot the plane at $50 an hour. CCUSD is the only Arizona school district that owns an airplane. The district also entered into a one-year landscaping and ground maintenance contract for $107,700 despite owning maintenance equipment and having several maintenance employees. At the time the contract was executed, CCUSD property reportedly included two buildings - the district office building and the K-12 school building. By comparison, the nearby Fredonia School District, which is similar in size, spent only about $8,000 a year on ground maintenance. In 2004 CCUSD allegedly spent excessive amounts on administrative costs despite declining enrollment. The percentage of money spent on the district’s administration far exceeds the percent spent in other Arizona school districts of comparable size. For example, the CCUSD employed 23 administrative personnel, compared with six employed by the Fredonia School District. The school is also accused of spending excessive amounts of money to store cars at the Deer Valley, Scottsdale and Kingman airports for use when school board members, administrators and others traveled by plane to those locations. It is also alleged that CCUSD board members and administrators were allowed to take family members on school conferences and business trips, charging meals, hotel stays and merchandise for non-district personnel to the district, expeses that, according to Goddard, were never reimbursed. The petition also allegs that CCUSD administrators made numerous inappropriate and unnecessary purchases, including $4,000 for surveillance cameras while at the same time, teachers were required to take a 15 percent across-the-board pay cut and suffered a significant reduction in health benefits. Goddard’s petition notes that during the 2004-2005 fiscal year, the CCUSD spent all of its cash reserves and borrwed heavily from Wells Fargo Bank. When the bank and the Mohave County Arizona treasurer refused to honor the district’s warrants, there wasn’t enough money left to pay teachers and other district employees, many of whom went unpaid for several weeks. It was noted that the Arizona Schools Risk Retention Trust, which provides insurance for Arizona public schools, has loaned the District about $1.4 million. CCUSD has yet to repay the $1.4 million and is still unable to pay its teachers or vendors without assistance from the Trust. The petition further alleges that CCUSD board members and administrators improperly sold and forfeited district property, funds and facilities that in the end benefited the private schools operated by Warren Jeffs’ FLDS church. The district leased five buildings used for two elementary schools, a junior high school, a storage facility and a bus maintenance barn. These buildings were owned by the Colorado City Improvement Association, a subsidiary of the United Effort Plan Trust controlled by FLDS leaders. In August 2002, the school district terminated the lease of these buildings, citing a surplus of classroom space, and the district forfeited over $190,000 in prepaid rent. Then, in 2004, CCUSD Superintendent Alvin Barlow asked for state funds to build a new K-6 elementary school, as well as building additions to the K-12 building. At that time he reportedly cited the need to accommodate the overcrowding in the K-12 school building. Now that the petition has been filed, the clock is ticking and CCUSD offials will be forced to respond in as little as two weeks. A public meeting of the State Board of Education can be scheduled as soon as 35 days after filing. | |
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MyEldorado.net Originally published August 18, 2005 | |
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