SALT LAKE CITY -- Federal prosecutors suggest imprisoned polygamist leader Warren Jeffs participated in a massive conspiracy to have members of his church bilk taxpayers out of millions in a massive food stamp fraud case.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah made that accusation in a court filing, seeking to use the Fundamentalist LDS Church leader's own words against 11 people charged with food stamp fraud and money laundering when they go on trial next year.
"Because the circumstantial evidence establishes that Warren Jeffs knew that a large percentage of members in the small and insular, FLDS community received SNAP benefits, he conspired in the commission of SNAP fraud when he ordered members to donate all of their material substance to the church," assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Lund wrote.
