The leader of a polygamous Utah sect may have came up with a simple but slippery way to escape law enforcement late last month: olive oil. Lyle Jeffs, the leader of The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as FLDS) was initially being held in jail after federal authorities arrested him and 10 other church leaders over a food-stamp-fraud case earlier this year.
Source: Indicted Utah sect leader Lyle Jeffs slips away from FBI
Yes, this happened in July of 2016. It was just a few months ago. The FBI issued a warrant for his arrest, and he is still on the run. It is likely he may stay hidden for years to come. How is he able to do this? Well, in a nutshell, the answer is: he has money and a network of people who will protect him, with their lives if necessary. He is, after all, standing in for his brother, Warren Jeffs, the still believed prophet.
Why do we care? What’s the big deal? It’s just food stamp evasion, right? No, it’s so much more than that. It’s about women and children who continue to be taken advantage of by men who assume ultimate authority over their submission. While the women and children remain completely faithful to these men and the cause of their prophet, Lyle is likely living a comfortable life hidden and pampered in one of the many houses comprising the “hiding network”.
“Why don’t the women just leave?” is a question we hear often. It’s so very, very complicated. One could ask the same question about why women who do not live at the Crick, yet face abuse of many kinds, remain with their abusers. While there is no clear, easy answer to that question, the main thing we feel we can do is to keep the public aware. That’s why we write… for the women who have not yet realized they have a choice and they have a voice.