Utah judge extends freeze on UEP assets
 Arizona signs on to case as property disappears from C-City/Hildale
 
The Eldorado Success
 
Even before law enforcement officers and private investigators could serve papers on trustees of the United Effort Plan trust (UEP), notifying them that the trust’s assets had been frozen by a Utah court, faithful followers of FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs gathered last weekend at two UEP sites to dismantle buildings and remove equipment.

Private investigator Sam Brower was on hand to watch as a large steel building, once occupied by Cozy Log Homes, was dismantled and loaded onto trucks. A video photographer named Mark Folkerson was also present to witness and document the activity.

Their reports, along with photos, made it into the hands of Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, whose office stepped up efforts this week to track down the relocated property. The AG office is reportedly seeking information into the disappearance of the property and encouraging anyone with information to contact them.

Meanwhile, the push to wrest control of the UEP away from Warren Jeffs and his lieutenants continued on several fronts, including here in Schleicher County where two sets of court summons were served on YFZ Ranch officials, but not on Warren Jeffs himself or any of the other UEP trustees.

A public notice appearing in this week’s Success (see notice on Page 7) along with other notices appearing in newspapers in Arizona, Utah, Colorado and British Columbia, Canada, is aimed at satisfying court requirements that Jeffs and the other trustees be notified of the upcoming hearing.

Twelve hundred miles north and west of Eldorado, Assistant Utah Attorney General Tim Bodily appeared before a judge in Salt Lake City, UT on Monday to argue that the temporary restraining order freezing UEP assets should remain in place until a hearing on June 22. The judge granted the request and also allowed Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard’s office to join the action as an interested party.

Interestingly, a group of former FLDS members, including Richard Holm, John W. Nielson and Merril T. Stubbs, are supporting the effort to oust the current UEP trustees and are recommending a new slate of trustees be appointed to guide the trust fund. Among the new trustees being proposed is Caroline Jessop, former 4th sister wife of Merrill Jessop, the man who reportedly oversees daily operations at the YFZ Ranch near Eldorado.

Other former FLDS members who appear on the list of proposed trustees is Rayo S. Johnson, of Hildale, UT, a man who was recently excommunicated from the church, and Winston Blackmore of Bountiful, British Columbia, widely known as the Bishop of Bountiful and a former follower of former FLDS Prophet Rulon Jeffs, late father of Warren Jeffs.

Blackmore’s inclusion is interesting since he is also listed on court documents as one of the current trustees the plaintiffs are trying to remove. In fact, Blackmore was a UEP trustee, but was informed that he had been removed from the office by former Prophet Rulon Jeffs before the senior Jeffs’ death in 2002. However, Blackmore disputes the removal, claiming that Rulon Jeffs was incapacitated by a series of strokes at the time he supposedly ousted Blackmore. Supporting that claim is the fact that documents officially removing Blackmore from the UEP board of trustees were never filed in court.

Still, the plaintiffs want Blackmore to remain as a trustee. He was excommunicated from the FLDS church by Warren Jeffs and has been one of Jeffs’ most outspoken critics. He has a large number of followers in Canada and influence within Colorado City/Hildale.

Jeffs’ brother ousted from YFZ?

As the court battle over control of the UEP, and ultimately the FLDS church continues to rage in Utah, Leroy Jeffs, brother of Warren Jeffs and former resident of the YFZ Ranch, was reportedly excommunicated from the church. Leroy Jeffs is also listed as one of the current UEP trustees that plaintiff groups are trying to remove from leadership of the trust.
 
myeldorado.net
Originally published June 9, 2005
 
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