Missing grain elevator stolen, attorney says
 
The Associated Press
Deseret Morning News
 
ST. GEORGE — A missing grain-elevator system that was dismantled and whisked away under cover of darkness over the weekend was "stolen" from the United Effort Plan Trust, a Salt Lake attorney said Wednesday.

"We have some names of people and we're pursuing criminal trespass and theft charges," said Salt Lake attorney Jeffrey Shields, who represents Bruce Wisan, the court-appointed accountant now overseeing the trust. "Our position is that the rule of law applies. If there's a dispute over property and you have a legitimate claim, don't grab the stuff and run. Talk to Bruce, he's a reasonable guy."

The trust is the financial arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a polygamous sect that broke away from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decades ago over the practice of polygamy.

In June, a state judge assumed control of the trust, removed its current trustees and froze trust assets. A temporary advisory board was appointed by the judge to help Wisan in his role as special fiduciary of the trust. The advisory board will meet for the second time on Saturday in St. George.

Since assuming the trust, Wisan has been working on an inventory of property and other trust holdings. The trust holds property in Arizona, Utah and British Canada with an estimated value of more than $100 million.

The grain-elevator system was removed from land that also houses the Four Square Farm Store, a feed and milling storehouse on Oak Street in Colorado City. The system was used to move grain between silos, although Shields said he did not know if the equipment was currently in use or had been idled.
 
deseretnews.com
Originally published Thursday, January 5, 2006
 
Back