National News

FBI arrests polygamist Mormon sect leader Lyle Jeffs

Bishop Lyle Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was arrested Wednesday night in South Dakota, after almost a year on the lam, according to the FBI.

Posted Updated

By
Eliott C. McLaughlin (CNN)

Bishop Lyle Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was arrested Wednesday night in South Dakota, after almost a year on the lam, according to the FBI.

Jeffs is being held in Minnehaha County Jail in South Dakota. The details of his capture were not immediately available.

In July 2016, Jeffs, the brother of notorious FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, escaped custody after using olive oil to slip a GPS tracking bracelet off of his ankle. Lyle Jeffs took over leadership of the polygamist Mormon sect after his brother was arrested on child sex charges related to his underage wives.

According to the FBI's wanted poster, Jeffs was on home confinement while awaiting trial for his alleged involvement in a food stamp fraud case when he escaped.

He had been charged with conspiracy to commit benefits fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

There was a $50,000 reward issued for his arrest. It's unclear if anyone will be awarded the money.

Copyright 2024 by Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.