UEP trustee hearing scheduled for today
 
The Eldorado Success
 
Utah District Judge Denise Lindberg is slated to consider the future of the United Effort Plan Trust today at a hearing in Salt Lake City, UT. The trust, once controlled by Warren Jeffs, the self-appointed prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), has been under the control of a receiver since June when another judge, Judge Deno Himonas, removed Jeffs and several of his cronies from their positions as UEP trustees.

The UEP trust was originally established for the benefit and protection of FLDS members. Most of the property in the twin towns of Colorado City, AZ and Hildale, UT, is owned by the trust and FLDS members have traditionally been allowed to build their homes and businesses on the land. However, in recent years, the trust has been used to reward Jeffs most loyal followers and punish those who question his authority or otherwise fail to bend to his will.

Beginning shortly after Warren Jeffs replaced his deceased father as church leader in 2002, numbers of men have been excommunicated from the church and evicted from their homes. To make matters worse, the men’s multiple wives (the FLDS openly practices polygamy) and their children were reassigned to other men.

While the trust technically exists as a separate entity from the FLDS church, most people close to the sect agree that the UEP is little more than a financial front for Jeffs and his closest lieutenants.

Jeffs will likely be watching closely to see what Judge Lindberg decides about the UEP, but he has bigger worries. The prophet stands indicted on felony charges in Arizona for Sexual Conduct with a Minor and Conspiracy to Commit Sexual Conduct with a Minor. The charges stem from his involvement in arranging and presiding over a series of marriages between some of his already-married male followers and several underage girls.

Eight other men were also indicted on similar charges and seven of them turned themselves in to authorities. The eighth was apprehended at his home. All the men plead not guilty and were released on bond.

Jeffs, however, remains at large and is now wanted by the FBI on federal charges of crossing state lines to avoid prosecution. Meanwhile the states of Arizona and Utah have offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Jeffs arrest.

The Success will post Judge Lindberg’s decision on its website at www.myeldorado.net as soon as it becomes available.
 
MyEldorado.net
Originally published August 4, 2005
 
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