1 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:05,880 It's in this episode of American Greed. 2 00:00:11,260 --> 00:00:17,180 In a small secluded community where polygamy is practiced as a spiritual 3 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:23,140 two brothers, Warren and Lyle Jeffs, claim they are bringing the word of God 4 00:00:23,140 --> 00:00:24,140 devoted followers. 5 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,640 These men were standing in a position as God's over us. 6 00:00:28,890 --> 00:00:33,190 But God, it appears, is just a cover. And they were using the religion, they 7 00:00:33,190 --> 00:00:36,690 were wrapping themselves in the religion to commit crimes. 8 00:00:37,210 --> 00:00:39,690 For Warren, the crimes are against children. 9 00:00:39,990 --> 00:00:44,450 This is about little girls being taken away from their parents, tied up, and 10 00:00:44,450 --> 00:00:47,350 raped. And for Lyle, the crime is fraud. 11 00:00:48,230 --> 00:00:51,610 Millions of dollars in taxpayers' money is stolen. 12 00:00:52,090 --> 00:00:56,350 They bought a John Deere tractor and a Ford F -350 pickup truck. 13 00:00:56,630 --> 00:01:01,410 And the FBI catches the scheme on tape. We're zooming in to capture their 14 00:01:01,410 --> 00:01:02,410 license plate. 15 00:01:02,490 --> 00:01:07,250 And the devoted followers, they say they are told to do the fraudster's dirty 16 00:01:07,250 --> 00:01:08,670 work or else. 17 00:01:09,090 --> 00:01:13,610 I knew it was illegal, but the kind of pressure that we were under, if you 18 00:01:13,610 --> 00:01:16,610 didn't obey all the rules, you could lose your family. 19 00:01:40,590 --> 00:01:46,770 Hidden below the red vermilion cliffs in southern Utah is a remote site, perfect 20 00:01:46,770 --> 00:01:49,510 for people who want nothing more than to be left alone. 21 00:01:51,230 --> 00:01:57,590 And so in the 1930s, fundamentalist Mormons come here and create a refuge 22 00:01:57,590 --> 00:02:03,150 the Fundamentalist Church of Latter -day Saints, FLDS. 23 00:02:04,190 --> 00:02:08,590 They want to be isolated in order to practice a way of life they believe is 24 00:02:08,590 --> 00:02:09,590 sacred. 25 00:02:09,900 --> 00:02:12,060 The practice of having multiple wives. 26 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:15,400 Polygamy. 27 00:02:15,940 --> 00:02:20,540 They felt like they had to do it secretly and underground because it was 28 00:02:20,540 --> 00:02:24,080 illegal, forbidden by the mainstream, looked down upon by the mainstream. 29 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:31,720 But over time, the need for secrecy lessens as church members build a 30 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:37,640 community in two towns bordering two states, Colorado City, Arizona and 31 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:38,640 Hilldale, Utah. 32 00:02:39,260 --> 00:02:41,320 They call their home Short Creek. 33 00:02:42,060 --> 00:02:44,000 It's where Dee Barlow grows up. 34 00:02:44,380 --> 00:02:49,440 Short Creek was established on the basis of being able to find a place where you 35 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:54,000 could raise your family in a society that was away from the social evil and 36 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,740 bring your kids up in what is termed light and truth. 37 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,840 So we'll be crossing the state line in just a minute. 38 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,420 Willie Jessup also grows up in Short Creek. 39 00:03:06,190 --> 00:03:09,250 at a time when polygamy was practiced openly. 40 00:03:09,690 --> 00:03:12,230 Even the marriages and everything were quite transparent. 41 00:03:12,750 --> 00:03:16,810 So if there was a marriage, everyone in the community would show up and support 42 00:03:16,810 --> 00:03:23,430 it. Over time, FLDS members build successful businesses, primarily doing 43 00:03:23,430 --> 00:03:25,250 construction outside of Short Creek. 44 00:03:25,470 --> 00:03:30,170 And as those businesses make donations, the wealth of the church grows. 45 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:35,340 We were very highly motivated to be able to financially bankroll the church in 46 00:03:35,340 --> 00:03:38,880 every need that it could, believing it was taking care of the most needy in 47 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,860 society. And we were, you know, making a difference for goodness for everyone. 48 00:03:44,780 --> 00:03:48,660 But in 2002, a change comes to Short Creek. 49 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:55,080 At the time, the leader and prophet of the FLDS church is 92 -year -old Rulan 50 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:56,080 Jeffs. 51 00:03:56,860 --> 00:03:58,740 Wallace Jeffs is his son. 52 00:03:59,180 --> 00:04:03,140 When I grew up with my father, he only had eight wives, if you want to call it 53 00:04:03,140 --> 00:04:04,140 only. 54 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,300 But when he died, he had 87 wives. 55 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:14,520 Brunan lives in Salt Lake City, where he claims he has a revelation from God 56 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:16,860 that Salt Lake will soon be destroyed. 57 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:23,600 And he commands all church members there to move to Short Creek, where they will 58 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:24,599 be safe. 59 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,820 They had this thing called the lifting up. 60 00:04:27,660 --> 00:04:33,380 where everybody in Short Creek was going to be lifted up from the earth, piece 61 00:04:33,380 --> 00:04:34,379 of land. 62 00:04:34,380 --> 00:04:39,640 I mean, literally, a piece of land was going to be lifted up while the 63 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,360 destructions wiped the wicked of the earth off. 64 00:04:42,940 --> 00:04:45,720 So we were down there for this lifting up. 65 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,960 But in Short Creek, Rulon dies. 66 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:55,660 Immediately, his son Warren declares that he is the new prophet, a position 67 00:04:55,660 --> 00:04:56,820 extraordinary power. 68 00:04:57,710 --> 00:05:04,590 As the prophet, he is the literal mouthpiece of God. So when he speaks 69 00:05:04,590 --> 00:05:11,410 and he gives his revelations to the community, it is in the first 70 00:05:11,410 --> 00:05:13,650 person of the deity of God. 71 00:05:13,950 --> 00:05:19,370 And Warren's consistent message from God, even embedded in a chimney, is pray 72 00:05:19,370 --> 00:05:20,370 and obey. 73 00:05:21,290 --> 00:05:25,130 And as heard in this recording, the message comes with a threat. 74 00:05:25,410 --> 00:05:27,030 But know this, great warning. 75 00:05:27,850 --> 00:05:34,310 You are shut out of heaven forever unless you just obey 76 00:05:34,310 --> 00:05:35,570 the prophet. 77 00:05:36,050 --> 00:05:41,270 And soon, according to former members, Warren issues a litany of commandments. 78 00:05:42,330 --> 00:05:46,070 He shut down all the dances and says, you know, we can't do this. It's 79 00:05:46,150 --> 00:05:50,130 We can't be exposing our children to TV. You've got to get rid of rock and roll 80 00:05:50,130 --> 00:05:54,170 music. We can't have socials and anything that's going to take your focus 81 00:05:54,170 --> 00:05:56,770 God. The word fun was banned. 82 00:05:57,470 --> 00:06:00,930 The word enjoyment was on a reduced basis. 83 00:06:01,910 --> 00:06:06,590 Anything that was of a celebration style, holiday was just done away with, 84 00:06:06,690 --> 00:06:07,750 including birthdays. 85 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,720 Some say it's his way of legitimizing his role. 86 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:18,460 That was the way he was trying to be recognized as the prophet by being the 87 00:06:18,460 --> 00:06:23,220 that was the most holy, the most obedient, the most determined to bring 88 00:06:23,220 --> 00:06:25,380 everybody into a religious perspective. 89 00:06:25,900 --> 00:06:29,400 And Warren knows he's playing to a well -trained audience. 90 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:34,860 Brenda Nicholson grows up in the church and is taught that perfect obedience is 91 00:06:34,860 --> 00:06:36,600 required for eternal salvation. 92 00:06:37,260 --> 00:06:43,820 He basically was handed on a silver platter a group of people who had been 93 00:06:43,820 --> 00:06:48,940 very carefully through generations groomed to accept 94 00:06:48,940 --> 00:06:52,840 this place of being perfectly obedient. 95 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:58,480 But apparently obedience to the rules does not apply to Warren. For example, 96 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:00,040 recorded statements like this. 97 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:05,600 He controls his followers by ordering that all construction on Short Creek 98 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:06,600 be stopped. 99 00:07:08,860 --> 00:07:14,940 And the projects are frozen. 100 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,560 But he has his own enormous compound built. 101 00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:23,160 The size of an entire block for himself and his growing collection of wives. 102 00:07:25,020 --> 00:07:28,840 Who are pictured in widely circulated photographs like this one. 103 00:07:29,980 --> 00:07:31,740 showcasing adoration for Warren. 104 00:07:32,940 --> 00:07:34,760 And no one questions the prophet. 105 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,260 He gets whatever he wants. 106 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,040 Warren had everything at his fingertips. 107 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:47,820 If he wanted a new car, he could get it. If he wanted a new personal bodyguard, 108 00:07:48,060 --> 00:07:49,120 he had it there. 109 00:07:49,340 --> 00:07:50,860 He was a man of means. 110 00:07:51,940 --> 00:07:54,660 And he is a man with secrets to protect. 111 00:07:56,170 --> 00:08:01,130 And so he needs absolute control of every man, woman, and child in Short 112 00:08:02,350 --> 00:08:08,170 And that is what he gets on a Saturday morning in January 2004 in the church 113 00:08:08,170 --> 00:08:09,170 meeting house. 114 00:08:11,450 --> 00:08:17,150 That morning, Warren declares that 21 men, all long -standing leaders in the 115 00:08:17,150 --> 00:08:22,070 church, are master deceivers and excommunicates them all. 116 00:08:22,910 --> 00:08:25,370 They must leave Short Creek immediately. 117 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:27,280 It was just devastating. 118 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,800 It's like taking everything up by the roots, ripping it up by the roots. 119 00:08:32,179 --> 00:08:36,960 I call it one of the dark days of Short Creek because it took the pillars of our 120 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,360 community and wiped them out. 121 00:08:40,340 --> 00:08:45,320 In months to come, the expulsion of men from the church becomes almost routine. 122 00:08:46,180 --> 00:08:49,120 Even some of Warren's brothers are banished. 123 00:08:49,340 --> 00:08:52,960 When they called me, I figured this was it, but I had no idea why. 124 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:54,700 And they don't tell you why. 125 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:59,120 They just say, Warren, the prophet says you are not worthy. 126 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:05,360 The husbands who are kicked out are told they are no longer fit to be fathers to 127 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:06,359 their children. 128 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:08,760 That was the hardest thing I ever did in my life. 129 00:09:10,260 --> 00:09:14,460 Yeah, you have to go back. You have to tell your family that you're not worthy. 130 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:16,500 You're not worthy of them. 131 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:21,760 When you lose everything. 132 00:09:22,940 --> 00:09:26,720 Literally, all you leave with is a shirt on your back. 133 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,580 There's a physical pain that comes with that that is excruciating. 134 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:40,020 You can't even explain it, but it's an anguish that 135 00:09:40,020 --> 00:09:45,280 creates a physical pain that's unexplainable. 136 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:53,350 And now, under the constant threat of expulsion, No one would dare cross 137 00:09:53,350 --> 00:09:58,710 Jeffs. In almost no time, he has made an extremely effective grab for power. And 138 00:09:58,710 --> 00:10:03,310 with power comes money. The opportunity to do whatever he wants. 139 00:10:04,150 --> 00:10:08,590 Up next on American Greed, the prophet's secrets exposed. 140 00:10:09,130 --> 00:10:12,110 Mr. Jeffs, did you rape those two girls? 141 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,740 In Short Creek, there is a story that every child learns early. 142 00:10:36,340 --> 00:10:39,740 The story of the raid on July 26, 1953. 143 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:45,780 On that day, the Arizona State Police come into town and arrest most of the 144 00:10:45,780 --> 00:10:49,940 adults. They take more than 200 children into custody. 145 00:10:50,220 --> 00:10:51,220 The reason? 146 00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:53,800 Reports of underage marriage. 147 00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:57,640 In the end, little comes of the raid. 148 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:02,520 But in Short Creek, there is a heightened fear of the outside world. 149 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:09,540 And 50 years later, Short Creek's mistrust of outsiders plays beautifully 150 00:11:09,540 --> 00:11:10,960 Warren Jeff's hands. 151 00:11:12,820 --> 00:11:16,440 You know, they're always telling you any, you know, the Gentiles would love 152 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,620 nothing more than to come in here and destroy us. 153 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:24,720 Warren says that threats from the outside world are the reason members 154 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:26,300 their children out of public schools. 155 00:11:27,130 --> 00:11:30,810 The reason members are not allowed to associate with non -members called 156 00:11:30,810 --> 00:11:35,490 Gentiles. It's why streets in Short Creek are lined with walls. 157 00:11:37,570 --> 00:11:42,650 But are the walls there to protect members or to hide the secrets of the 158 00:11:42,650 --> 00:11:49,530 leaders? This created a perfect environment for people to look at 159 00:11:49,530 --> 00:11:53,570 that it was an outside threat without recognizing that what he was doing is he 160 00:11:53,570 --> 00:11:54,970 was using this secrecy. 161 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:57,980 for some very sinister and evil purposes. 162 00:11:58,500 --> 00:12:03,780 And those sinister and evil purposes begin to come to light when a young 163 00:12:03,780 --> 00:12:06,340 member, Elissa Wall, steps forward. 164 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:10,260 But I have followed my heart, and I've spoken the truth. 165 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:17,080 Claiming that at age 14, she is forced into marrying her cousin by Warren 166 00:12:17,420 --> 00:12:20,880 This was the first time that we ever had anybody who would... 167 00:12:21,260 --> 00:12:25,040 inside the community come out and be willing to testify as to what had 168 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:31,060 inside. Warren is charged with rape as an accomplice. His eventual conviction 169 00:12:31,060 --> 00:12:33,780 overturned for errors in jury instruction. 170 00:12:34,860 --> 00:12:40,860 But as law enforcement closes in, Warren assures his followers that he is above 171 00:12:40,860 --> 00:12:41,860 the law. 172 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:48,240 He says no person, no court, no government can question what God has him 173 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:51,440 And then he runs away. 174 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,500 He leaves his younger brother Lyle in charge of Short Creek. 175 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:05,640 Lyle was very cocky, very proud, self -centered, just 176 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:07,980 not a real kind person. 177 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:14,800 And Lyle makes it clear he too is above the law as he helps Warren evade 178 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:15,800 capture. 179 00:13:16,620 --> 00:13:20,840 They did the best they could to obstruct justice in every way possible. 180 00:13:22,740 --> 00:13:28,880 But in August of 2006, Warren is arrested near Las Vegas in a routine 181 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:34,460 stop. He has $50 ,000 in cash and assorted disguises. 182 00:13:35,740 --> 00:13:40,620 But the discovery that causes his downfall comes later, when law 183 00:13:40,620 --> 00:13:42,860 finds photographs like these. 184 00:13:44,460 --> 00:13:48,860 They provide dramatic evidence in court of Warren Jeffs' sexual experiences with 185 00:13:48,860 --> 00:13:53,120 child brides only 12 and 14 years old. 186 00:13:54,900 --> 00:14:01,120 And with that, the most holy prophet Warren Jeffs is charged with sexually 187 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:02,160 assaulting children. 188 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,100 The story is national news. 189 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,960 Mr. Jeffs, did you rape those two girls? 190 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:12,460 Mr. Jeffs? I was walking through a truck stop. 191 00:14:14,190 --> 00:14:21,170 And I saw a news article that showed Warren kissing this 12 192 00:14:21,170 --> 00:14:22,170 -year -old girl. 193 00:14:22,270 --> 00:14:25,670 I knew this girl very well. I knew how old she was. 194 00:14:26,450 --> 00:14:28,070 I knew who she was. 195 00:14:28,390 --> 00:14:35,170 And I just remember seeing that picture and 196 00:14:35,170 --> 00:14:38,090 thinking, I could be one of my daughters. 197 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:43,740 But in Short Creek, former members say people aren't allowed to get their news 198 00:14:43,740 --> 00:14:45,120 from only one source, 199 00:14:46,020 --> 00:14:47,020 Lyle Jeffs. 200 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:50,320 The people were told, don't go to the television, don't go to the newspapers, 201 00:14:50,540 --> 00:14:55,140 don't find any other news source, but let Lyle become your source of 202 00:14:55,140 --> 00:14:58,840 information. Remember the 1953 raid, they are told. 203 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:01,040 This is what the government does. 204 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:03,220 Warren is a martyr. 205 00:15:03,500 --> 00:15:07,480 I thought he was the greatest man on earth and he had been wrongfully 206 00:15:08,380 --> 00:15:11,700 He was in prison because of the lies of apostates. 207 00:15:12,180 --> 00:15:17,280 Willie Jessup, as a faithful FLDS member, is so eager to prove Warren's 208 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:22,000 innocence, he interviews the girls, learning the horrifying truth. 209 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:24,220 The government isn't lying. 210 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:25,520 Warren is. 211 00:15:26,380 --> 00:15:31,680 The greatest betrayal of my life. And I never saw it coming. I've never cried 212 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:34,320 harder in my life, and I've never been sicker in my life. 213 00:15:34,700 --> 00:15:36,460 And Warren is not alone. 214 00:15:37,390 --> 00:15:41,550 Other church leaders are convicted on charges related to underage marriages. 215 00:15:42,350 --> 00:15:47,950 But now, for Jessup, the claim of government persecution of Warren no 216 00:15:47,950 --> 00:15:48,950 rings true. 217 00:15:49,050 --> 00:15:51,130 This isn't about consensual marriages. 218 00:15:51,390 --> 00:15:56,070 This isn't about plural marriage. This is about little girls being taken away 219 00:15:56,070 --> 00:15:57,750 from their parents, tied up, and raped. 220 00:15:58,070 --> 00:16:03,590 And there is no way to put any frosting on it. This is horrific, graphic, 221 00:16:03,870 --> 00:16:05,110 horrible acts. 222 00:16:05,770 --> 00:16:07,090 against innocent people. 223 00:16:07,410 --> 00:16:12,110 Up next on American Greed, in Short Creek, greed is in charge. 224 00:16:12,630 --> 00:16:17,770 It has nothing to do with God. It has nothing to do with religion, pride, 225 00:16:18,130 --> 00:16:19,170 control, and money. 226 00:16:37,740 --> 00:16:43,940 In 2011, just outside Palestine, Texas, Warren Jeffs is in a state prison 227 00:16:43,940 --> 00:16:48,920 serving a sentence of life plus 20 years after being convicted of sexually 228 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:49,980 assaulting children. 229 00:16:51,100 --> 00:16:55,900 It's easy to believe that the bad guy has been put away and all will be well. 230 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:03,420 If he was truly the only problem when he was imprisoned, everything would have 231 00:17:03,420 --> 00:17:04,420 changed. 232 00:17:05,020 --> 00:17:06,020 And it didn't. 233 00:17:06,510 --> 00:17:11,210 Warren continues to issue commandments from his prison cell that are obeyed. 234 00:17:11,569 --> 00:17:14,490 All children's toys must be destroyed. 235 00:17:14,930 --> 00:17:16,690 Internet access is forbidden. 236 00:17:17,230 --> 00:17:22,569 He seems to be as powerful as ever. But in reality, the person keeping Warren in 237 00:17:22,569 --> 00:17:24,910 power is his brother, Lyle. 238 00:17:25,710 --> 00:17:28,630 Lyle tells people that he speaks for Warren. 239 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,760 I am the only person now that can save you. Warren's in jail. 240 00:17:33,020 --> 00:17:35,860 I'm the closest thing to Warren you people will ever see. 241 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:38,520 And he started marketing himself as a Warren. 242 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,300 And that works out very well for Lyle. 243 00:17:41,700 --> 00:17:47,340 He is living in a huge house inside the walled Jeff's family compound with his 244 00:17:47,340 --> 00:17:48,340 multiple wives. 245 00:17:48,700 --> 00:17:51,580 He owns a mobile home worth more than $100 ,000. 246 00:17:52,700 --> 00:17:55,840 And that is just one option for his transportation. 247 00:17:56,910 --> 00:18:01,850 He has every vehicle that he could ever want right at his fingertips, including 248 00:18:01,850 --> 00:18:08,590 very high -end cars, Infinities, Audis, vehicles that he traveled 249 00:18:08,590 --> 00:18:10,410 around in constantly in the community. 250 00:18:10,690 --> 00:18:16,750 For Lyle, it appears God is out and greed is in. Pride and greed. 251 00:18:17,970 --> 00:18:22,070 Absolutely. That's all it is. It has nothing to do with God. It has nothing 252 00:18:22,070 --> 00:18:25,370 do with religion, pride, control, and money. 253 00:18:26,179 --> 00:18:28,080 Agents at the FBI agree. 254 00:18:29,100 --> 00:18:32,820 Lyle and a few others, they say, are not running a church. 255 00:18:33,260 --> 00:18:35,380 They are running a criminal enterprise. 256 00:18:36,100 --> 00:18:41,620 They were basically like wolves in sheep's clothing. They were using their 257 00:18:41,620 --> 00:18:45,780 religion. They were wrapping themselves in their religion to commit crimes. 258 00:18:46,780 --> 00:18:51,780 Obstructing justice by using local police to spy on residents. 259 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:56,840 Children are ordered out of school to work long hours on church projects. 260 00:18:57,660 --> 00:19:01,820 And the FBI receives widespread allegations of fraud. 261 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:09,140 And even then I remember thinking, if we're God's people, why do we have 262 00:19:09,140 --> 00:19:12,980 to lie and commit fraud? Why doesn't he provide for us? 263 00:19:13,180 --> 00:19:17,900 And now cash coming into the church goes to projects that defy reason. 264 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:24,140 Life of Warren Jeffs says he will be released from jail if the members build 265 00:19:24,140 --> 00:19:29,480 a palatial residence and Lyle makes sure the multi -million dollar walled palace 266 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:30,480 is built. 267 00:19:31,180 --> 00:19:36,920 But much of the money, tens of millions of dollars, goes to build new secret 268 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:43,080 communities in Colorado and South Dakota, places they call lands of 269 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:47,880 Places reserved for people loyal to Lyle and Warren. 270 00:19:49,290 --> 00:19:55,010 So now it went from a religion about taking care of the poor and the needy 271 00:19:55,010 --> 00:20:00,310 helping those that needed it. 100 % of everything was how can you make the 272 00:20:00,310 --> 00:20:04,870 more powerful, more strong, using the name of religion, but it had nothing to 273 00:20:04,870 --> 00:20:06,030 with the poor and the sick. 274 00:20:06,290 --> 00:20:10,850 And where do the multiple millions of dollars for Warren and Lyle's projects 275 00:20:10,850 --> 00:20:11,850 come from? 276 00:20:12,310 --> 00:20:13,310 Short Creek. 277 00:20:13,970 --> 00:20:16,810 Business owners are tapped to the point of bankruptcy. 278 00:20:17,770 --> 00:20:22,570 The businesses just were not able to keep up with the demands, and some of 279 00:20:22,570 --> 00:20:26,970 had to fold. But eventually, the squeeze always ends up on the members, who are 280 00:20:26,970 --> 00:20:30,110 told to give till it hurts and then give some more. 281 00:20:30,730 --> 00:20:35,290 We were barely surviving, but, you know, they put it across as what matters 282 00:20:35,290 --> 00:20:38,610 more? You know, the destructions could come any day. 283 00:20:39,550 --> 00:20:42,410 Don't you think you're going to wish you had somewhere to be? You need to show 284 00:20:42,410 --> 00:20:43,169 your support. 285 00:20:43,170 --> 00:20:43,989 So we did. 286 00:20:43,990 --> 00:20:48,570 And there is also the constant threat that if you don't pay up, you will get 287 00:20:48,570 --> 00:20:49,570 kicked out. 288 00:20:50,110 --> 00:20:53,650 Basically, it is if you didn't come through and tumble in and make your 289 00:20:53,650 --> 00:20:57,350 contributions, then you're putting your family and you at risk. 290 00:20:58,350 --> 00:21:01,870 Certainly as a father, you're putting yourself at risk to lose your family. 291 00:21:02,150 --> 00:21:06,510 But no matter how much people give, there is never enough money. 292 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:12,700 And so in 2011, a plan is implemented to take literally everything from the 293 00:21:12,700 --> 00:21:13,700 people of Short Creek. 294 00:21:14,100 --> 00:21:18,780 Church leaders announced that Warren is requiring the implementation of his 295 00:21:18,780 --> 00:21:25,160 interpretation of a 19th century Mormon practice of sharing goods. It's called 296 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:26,880 the United Order. 297 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:32,020 What that meant is everyone had to consecrate everything that they had been 298 00:21:32,020 --> 00:21:36,660 given here, all their earthly possessions, all their income, 299 00:21:36,660 --> 00:21:37,840 be donated to the church. 300 00:21:38,060 --> 00:21:43,100 So you virtually own nothing. Everything that you have, that you are in control 301 00:21:43,100 --> 00:21:44,940 of, you're actually a steward for. 302 00:21:45,380 --> 00:21:47,000 The church controls everything. 303 00:21:47,460 --> 00:21:52,480 But the idea sold to the community is that this is a way to share resources. 304 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:56,620 And they brought it up as this is this amazing thing. 305 00:21:57,290 --> 00:22:02,350 This was leveling the playing field. Everyone was going to be more equal. And 306 00:22:02,350 --> 00:22:07,350 actually felt really bad for the people who had gotten accustomed to living like 307 00:22:07,350 --> 00:22:12,210 kings because it was going to be a sacrifice for them. For me, it was going 308 00:22:12,210 --> 00:22:15,350 be, you know, I was looking forward to actually having more. 309 00:22:15,670 --> 00:22:18,750 But as with everything with the Jeffs, there is a catch. 310 00:22:19,490 --> 00:22:22,850 To participate in the United Order, you have to qualify. 311 00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:27,840 Up next on American Greed, how far Lyle will go. 312 00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:32,600 So we would go home and having not much to feed our children. 313 00:22:33,500 --> 00:22:35,160 Literally, we were starving. 314 00:22:51,850 --> 00:22:58,330 In December 2011, almost 10 years after Warren Jeffs became the FLDS prophet, 315 00:22:59,070 --> 00:23:03,850 Short Creek is under the full control of his brother, Lyle Jeffs. 316 00:23:04,750 --> 00:23:10,770 Under the rule of Lyle Jeffs, a security conscious environment progressed to 317 00:23:10,770 --> 00:23:13,610 what I would consider a security state. 318 00:23:13,830 --> 00:23:16,070 Everywhere you went, you were being watched. 319 00:23:17,170 --> 00:23:20,110 It's something on your mind 24 -7. 320 00:23:20,670 --> 00:23:21,910 Are my boys going to be okay? 321 00:23:22,270 --> 00:23:26,430 You know, if one day you see them with their sleeves rolled up, you about have 322 00:23:26,430 --> 00:23:31,390 heart attack because are they going to be seen as naughty boys and get kicked 323 00:23:31,390 --> 00:23:32,390 out or sent away? 324 00:23:32,910 --> 00:23:35,250 Lyle continues to banish fathers. 325 00:23:35,650 --> 00:23:40,290 And according to federal law enforcement, on occasion, he even takes 326 00:23:40,290 --> 00:23:42,610 himself and their money. 327 00:23:43,590 --> 00:23:45,670 All he did was come in off the... 328 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:50,860 as a pariah and as a leech off of people that had been kicked out and millions 329 00:23:50,860 --> 00:23:55,720 of dollars of their assets were shifted over to him. He's now sleeping with 330 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,780 their wives and impregnating them, living in their homes. 331 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:05,060 And now Lyle and two cohorts will be the ones to decide who is worthy of joining 332 00:24:05,060 --> 00:24:09,200 the new echelon in the church called the United Order. 333 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:12,720 We were told these men were standing in a position as... 334 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:18,360 You know, God's over us to a degree. You know, God would whisper to them if you 335 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:19,019 were worthy. 336 00:24:19,020 --> 00:24:24,800 And God's whisper for Brenda is that three of her six children are worthy. 337 00:24:25,340 --> 00:24:27,760 Her husband and the three others are not. 338 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:31,760 This was it. This was everything riding on this decision. 339 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:37,280 And then she says her worthy daughter shares what she has learned at a 340 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:41,820 She said Uncle Lyle said that God gave this revelation. 341 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:49,340 And so the worthies are no longer allowed to live with the unworthies. She 342 00:24:49,420 --> 00:24:53,680 so they're going to take us away. We can't live with you anymore. 343 00:24:54,700 --> 00:25:00,920 And I can't quite describe what that felt like inside of me. 344 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,480 But no one is taking Brenda Nicholson's children. 345 00:25:05,420 --> 00:25:09,980 And so in the middle of the night, her family packs up and leaves Short Creek 346 00:25:09,980 --> 00:25:10,980 for good. 347 00:25:12,110 --> 00:25:19,090 I knew there was a good chance I'd never get to see or talk to my 348 00:25:19,090 --> 00:25:23,150 mother or my siblings again. 349 00:25:23,790 --> 00:25:28,730 At the same time, Dee Barlow is asked to be on the committee that will decide 350 00:25:28,730 --> 00:25:32,310 which worthy families will get which worthy children. 351 00:25:32,590 --> 00:25:34,990 And for Barlow, that is too much. 352 00:25:35,350 --> 00:25:38,670 He decides he also must leave Short Creek. 353 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:41,940 Because I felt like I had eternal consequences. 354 00:25:42,900 --> 00:25:49,680 That to fuss around in the life of children, and especially that very 355 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:56,660 connection with parents, I have a personal honor system. It was not 356 00:25:56,660 --> 00:25:59,760 going to be looked on with any degree of mercy. 357 00:26:00,260 --> 00:26:03,680 Because everything that we have is about family. 358 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:05,280 It's about children. 359 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,620 But apparently for Lyle... 360 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:09,100 It's about money. 361 00:26:09,860 --> 00:26:15,700 And now he is insisting that everyone in the new United Order take inventory of 362 00:26:15,700 --> 00:26:20,120 all their possessions and turn them over to a church warehouse called the 363 00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:25,580 storehouse, where he says they will be available to all. Some of those. 364 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:31,760 Asset sheets were over 300 pages of lined paper on both sides, naming out 365 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:36,760 pin, every shoe, every spare shoelace, their pairs of glasses, their contacts, 366 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:40,480 and they were required to go and submit that to Lyle Jeffs. 367 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,820 At this point, many do not have much to give. 368 00:26:44,120 --> 00:26:48,740 With so many fathers kicked out, Short Creek is one of the poorest communities 369 00:26:48,740 --> 00:26:49,740 in Utah. 370 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:55,140 The father was the cornerstone of the providing for the families. And so now 371 00:26:55,140 --> 00:27:00,860 of a sudden you have an abundant women and children without an income provider. 372 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:06,300 And those women and children qualify for government help, which comes in the 373 00:27:06,300 --> 00:27:12,660 form of supplemental nutrition assistance called SNAP benefits, also 374 00:27:12,660 --> 00:27:13,660 food stamps. 375 00:27:13,950 --> 00:27:18,750 The Short Creek area during this time frame consisted of about 6 ,000 people, 376 00:27:18,990 --> 00:27:25,910 and we determined that there were approximately 2 ,700 snap card holders 377 00:27:25,910 --> 00:27:31,830 area. And that means there is big money in food stamps, and Lyle wants it. 378 00:27:32,650 --> 00:27:35,350 He calls everyone together to explain his scheme. 379 00:27:36,930 --> 00:27:42,070 Cheryl Barlow is Dee's wife, who stays behind when Dee leaves Short Creek. 380 00:27:42,810 --> 00:27:49,030 We were told to attend storehouse training meetings, and in those 381 00:27:49,030 --> 00:27:55,270 and those that he told, instructed, would tell us how to use our food stamps 382 00:27:55,270 --> 00:28:01,950 cards. Members are told to spend their monthly food stamp allocation at two 383 00:28:01,950 --> 00:28:07,550 convenience stores, not to buy food, but to make a donation to the church. 384 00:28:07,850 --> 00:28:11,690 I knew it was illegal, but the kind of pressure that we were under, 385 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:16,720 It was, if you didn't obey all the rules, you could lose your family. 386 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:21,220 Shirley Draper runs a social service agency in Short Creek. 387 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:26,140 We're talking about families that did not have money to pay for health care. 388 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:30,940 They didn't have money to, you know, even buy clothing or anything. And then 389 00:28:30,940 --> 00:28:34,340 they're told they also have to hand over their snack cards. 390 00:28:34,740 --> 00:28:38,460 And so even their food is now in peril. 391 00:28:39,100 --> 00:28:42,820 And that means that for some, Lyle has now gone too far. 392 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,020 And they make a call to the FBI. 393 00:28:46,540 --> 00:28:49,820 For the first time in decades, we had these witnesses that were coming forward 394 00:28:49,820 --> 00:28:54,240 and giving us firsthand knowledge of things like public corruption and crimes 395 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:56,360 against children and fraud that was occurring. 396 00:28:56,940 --> 00:28:59,640 As the agents begin their investigation... 397 00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:05,140 They see that two small FLDS -controlled convenience stores are processing 398 00:29:05,140 --> 00:29:07,220 enormous food stamp transactions. 399 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:13,220 It was an incredible fraud flag. If you have a $4 ,500 transaction at the 400 00:29:13,220 --> 00:29:17,640 counter of a small convenience store, that raises eyebrows. 401 00:29:17,860 --> 00:29:22,560 What are you buying for $4 ,500 at a convenience store? 402 00:29:23,100 --> 00:29:28,420 And so the FBI installs surveillance cameras outside and inside the stores. 403 00:29:28,700 --> 00:29:33,920 And over hundreds of hours of video, they watch Lyle's suspected fraud 404 00:29:35,020 --> 00:29:40,220 Up next on American Greed, while members are starving... Lyle Jeffs had a 405 00:29:40,220 --> 00:29:44,740 personal chef, and his personal chef prepared him steak and lobster and 406 00:29:44,740 --> 00:29:51,080 scallops. Hear how Lyle Jeffs evades the FBI on AmericanGreed .CNBC 407 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:52,080 .com. 408 00:29:53,770 --> 00:29:55,850 Want inside information from the show? 409 00:29:56,370 --> 00:29:58,430 Join the Greed Social Network. 410 00:29:58,770 --> 00:30:01,870 Like us on American Greed's Facebook page. 411 00:30:02,150 --> 00:30:03,150 We'll be right back. 412 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:24,440 By 2015, every day in Short Creek, families on food stamps head to an FLDS 413 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:28,800 -controlled store to donate their government benefits to their church. 414 00:30:29,180 --> 00:30:33,240 And the FBI is watching every step they take. 415 00:30:33,580 --> 00:30:37,800 These are very faithful people that are walking in and consecrating their money, 416 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:42,640 believing that all of that money is going to the storehouse and that they're 417 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:44,660 benefiting themselves and their neighbors. 418 00:30:45,310 --> 00:30:50,190 Once inside, the clerk hands the church member a list of items that the 419 00:30:50,190 --> 00:30:51,290 storehouse needs. 420 00:30:51,910 --> 00:30:56,750 But that's, it's just smoke and mirrors. It's just to give the people donating 421 00:30:56,750 --> 00:30:59,150 the feeling that they are contributing. 422 00:30:59,510 --> 00:31:05,890 And then the customer hands over her food stamp card, known as an EBT card, 423 00:31:05,890 --> 00:31:07,370 like a credit or debit card. 424 00:31:07,730 --> 00:31:12,970 And in that fast transaction, she has given money she needs to feed her family 425 00:31:12,970 --> 00:31:14,450 to Lyle Jeffs. 426 00:31:14,830 --> 00:31:21,190 In this case, the customer turns over $2 ,600 and leaves the store without a 427 00:31:21,190 --> 00:31:22,490 single item of food. 428 00:31:23,050 --> 00:31:27,310 The amount of food that you could buy even for a large family would sustain 429 00:31:27,310 --> 00:31:29,150 family throughout the month. 430 00:31:29,990 --> 00:31:34,170 After making their donation, church members expect that they can go to the 431 00:31:34,170 --> 00:31:36,710 storehouse and pick up whatever they need. 432 00:31:37,150 --> 00:31:38,510 But that is not true. 433 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:49,260 thought we had contributed, there was nothing there. So we would go home and 434 00:31:49,260 --> 00:31:51,640 having not much to feed our children. 435 00:31:52,540 --> 00:31:54,260 Literally, we were starving. 436 00:31:54,520 --> 00:32:00,440 And so if food stamp funds are not going to fill the storehouse with food, where 437 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:01,440 does that money go? 438 00:32:02,300 --> 00:32:07,300 Federal prosecutors say it goes straight into the control of Lyle Jeffs and his 439 00:32:07,300 --> 00:32:08,300 friends. 440 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:14,340 They used it to buy things other than food. They bought a John Deere tractor, 441 00:32:14,340 --> 00:32:21,140 Ford F -350 pickup truck. They spent a million dollars on farming supplies, 442 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:25,740 principally grain for cattle, not food for human beings to eat. 443 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:30,460 Prosecutors estimate the fraud brings in more than $11 million. 444 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:36,120 And a significant amount of the money goes to those privileged lands of refuge 445 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:41,920 in Colorado and South Dakota, which at all costs must be kept secret. 446 00:32:42,820 --> 00:32:46,820 The leaders of the church didn't want scrutiny into those communities. 447 00:32:47,900 --> 00:32:52,760 There was an edict that those persons couldn't participate in food stamps. And 448 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:57,300 so food stamp money from Shore Creek had to be diverted to those communities so 449 00:32:57,300 --> 00:32:58,580 they could subsist. 450 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,900 And that leaves the people in Short Creek in desperate shape. 451 00:33:03,220 --> 00:33:09,420 It was very difficult as a mother to watch my kids go without, 452 00:33:09,620 --> 00:33:15,880 to have a little child come and ask for food, and I had nothing to give him. 453 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:18,580 Eventually, Cheryl takes a risk. 454 00:33:18,860 --> 00:33:22,440 She secretly buys snacks and hides them. 455 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:27,820 And there was one point that the caretaker of the home took me aside. 456 00:33:28,300 --> 00:33:34,760 and told me that I could lose my children. For me to use those EBT 457 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:39,160 buy food for my children, I could lose my children and be sent away. 458 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:46,260 Families like the Barlows make do with meager meals, but Lyle appears to be 459 00:33:46,260 --> 00:33:47,260 feeling no pain. 460 00:33:47,540 --> 00:33:51,320 He has access to whatever he wants in the storehouse. 461 00:33:51,740 --> 00:33:55,660 He had keys to it, and there were witness accounts where those... 462 00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:01,300 Family members of Lyle's household would go after hours to the storehouse and 463 00:34:01,300 --> 00:34:04,660 pick off the shelves whatever they needed, whatever they wanted, bring it 464 00:34:05,060 --> 00:34:08,520 Their shelves were always stocked. Their refrigerator was always full. 465 00:34:08,940 --> 00:34:15,320 While the other members starved and did not have the food they needed, the 466 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:18,940 nutrition that they needed, they were living off of rice and ketchup. 467 00:34:19,750 --> 00:34:24,670 Lyle Jeffs had a personal chef and his personal chef prepared him steak and 468 00:34:24,670 --> 00:34:28,090 lobster and scallops. And he lived very, very well. 469 00:34:28,489 --> 00:34:31,710 But Lyle's lobster eating days are numbered. 470 00:34:32,170 --> 00:34:35,810 In February 2016, the FBI is ready. 471 00:34:37,010 --> 00:34:41,889 Agents surround the FLDS stores and take the final evidence for the case. 472 00:34:42,810 --> 00:34:46,190 Church members who donated their benefits are not charged. 473 00:34:46,860 --> 00:34:52,340 But 11 church leaders are indicted on conspiracy charges of food stamp fraud 474 00:34:52,340 --> 00:34:53,340 money laundering. 475 00:34:53,580 --> 00:34:58,100 And the one who matters most to the FBI is Lyle Jett. 476 00:34:58,700 --> 00:35:04,500 We wanted Lyle because he was the guy that was doing all the evil in the 477 00:35:04,500 --> 00:35:09,200 community, and he was the one directing others to do these heinous acts. 478 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:11,380 And so while the... 479 00:35:11,690 --> 00:35:17,250 The food stamp case wasn't the sexiest from a law enforcement standpoint. It 480 00:35:17,250 --> 00:35:23,290 still a very meaningful thing to us because underlying that was the fact 481 00:35:23,290 --> 00:35:24,290 people were starving. 482 00:35:24,930 --> 00:35:28,090 Prosecutors argue that Lyle should remain in custody. 483 00:35:28,910 --> 00:35:35,470 We considered the fact that Warren Jeffs had fled, and we were 484 00:35:35,470 --> 00:35:40,010 fairly convinced that if given a chance that Lyle Jeffs would flee. 485 00:35:40,710 --> 00:35:43,070 And the judge gives Lyle that chance. 486 00:35:43,770 --> 00:35:48,270 Placed in home confinement, Lyle maneuvers his ankle monitor off. 487 00:35:48,510 --> 00:35:52,270 And just as Warren had done years before, he runs away. 488 00:35:55,270 --> 00:36:00,710 We had very little leads. He fled in the middle of the night. He had 24 hours or 489 00:36:00,710 --> 00:36:02,390 more head start on us. 490 00:36:02,670 --> 00:36:07,090 But before he leaves, he receives personal direction from Warren. 491 00:36:07,610 --> 00:36:11,070 telling Lyle to resume his duties in Short Creek. 492 00:36:11,410 --> 00:36:15,290 Warren just told him to not fear law enforcement, that he would be protected, 493 00:36:15,350 --> 00:36:17,770 and that he needed to just do what was told. 494 00:36:18,330 --> 00:36:23,230 And that was to go and handle United Order matters back in Short Creek, 495 00:36:23,230 --> 00:36:24,230 the bishop again. 496 00:36:24,390 --> 00:36:28,010 But Lyle is afraid, and he makes a fateful decision. 497 00:36:29,070 --> 00:36:30,130 Disobey the prophet. 498 00:36:31,510 --> 00:36:33,370 Up next on American Greed. 499 00:36:34,230 --> 00:36:35,810 Justice for Lyle. 500 00:36:36,810 --> 00:36:43,510 Here he is going from living a multimillion -dollar lifestyle to 501 00:36:43,510 --> 00:36:45,210 Leatherman to get a hamburger. 502 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:13,660 For almost a year, the FBI pursues Lyle Jeffs across the country, running down 503 00:37:13,660 --> 00:37:15,420 tips and following leads. 504 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:22,160 We did our best in the very beginning to try to locate him and find him, but we 505 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:24,760 were always a little too far behind, a little too late. 506 00:37:25,020 --> 00:37:30,540 The agents eventually put out a $50 ,000 reward, and that pays off. 507 00:37:30,990 --> 00:37:37,550 In July 2017, in Yankton, South Dakota, the owner of a pawn shop calls local 508 00:37:37,550 --> 00:37:44,290 police to say wanted fugitive Lyle Jeffs just pawned a Leatherman tool for 509 00:37:44,290 --> 00:37:45,290 $37. 510 00:37:46,450 --> 00:37:51,550 He's destitute. He's living like a vagabond. He's driving around in his F 511 00:37:51,750 --> 00:37:52,950 living out of his vehicle. 512 00:37:53,350 --> 00:37:56,950 It appears Lyle is getting a taste of his own bitter medicine. 513 00:37:57,450 --> 00:37:58,970 He disobeyed Warren. 514 00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:04,200 And so from prison, Warren has directed his remaining followers in Short Creek 515 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:06,760 to kick Lyle out of the church. 516 00:38:07,900 --> 00:38:13,340 And what that did to the people that were supporting him is prevented them 517 00:38:13,340 --> 00:38:16,760 even talking to him or helping him in any way. 518 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:24,260 Consequently, he was on his own. Here he is going from living a multimillion 519 00:38:24,260 --> 00:38:25,260 dollar lifestyle. 520 00:38:26,350 --> 00:38:28,830 Pawning a Leatherman to get a hamburger. 521 00:38:31,170 --> 00:38:33,250 All I could do was laugh. 522 00:38:34,410 --> 00:38:35,970 That was so fitting. 523 00:38:36,850 --> 00:38:40,510 Almost immediately, Gary Franz heads to South Dakota. 524 00:38:40,930 --> 00:38:45,050 He gets word that Lyle has been pulled over by a local cop. 525 00:38:45,590 --> 00:38:49,650 I responded within just a couple of minutes of them pulling him over. 526 00:38:50,330 --> 00:38:55,790 And to walk around and to see Lyle and to introduce myself and to let him know 527 00:38:55,790 --> 00:38:59,070 the FBI was here and that he had been caught, that was pretty sweet. 528 00:39:01,850 --> 00:39:03,770 Lyle pleads guilty to fraud. 529 00:39:04,170 --> 00:39:09,170 The judge estimates the loss at $2 million and sentences Jeffs to nearly 530 00:39:09,170 --> 00:39:10,170 years. 531 00:39:10,410 --> 00:39:13,490 Brenda Nicholson attends his sentencing hearing. 532 00:39:13,750 --> 00:39:18,390 And sometimes I feel like maybe it makes me a bad person, but I really enjoyed 533 00:39:18,390 --> 00:39:19,710 sitting in the room. 534 00:39:20,230 --> 00:39:23,630 and seeing him in shackles and chains. 535 00:39:24,550 --> 00:39:31,250 Because he spiritually has enslaved so 536 00:39:31,250 --> 00:39:36,910 many people that it was nice to see at least some degree of justice served. 537 00:39:37,390 --> 00:39:42,770 Brenda and her family are now living in Vancouver, Washington, adjusting to a 538 00:39:42,770 --> 00:39:43,770 challenging life. 539 00:39:43,990 --> 00:39:46,210 We looked at the Gentile world as horrific. 540 00:39:46,970 --> 00:39:49,950 dangerous, horrible place, and now it's our world. 541 00:39:51,530 --> 00:39:58,370 And it really is like being dropped into a foreign country. Yeah, we all spoke 542 00:39:58,370 --> 00:40:01,070 English, but words meant something different to us. 543 00:40:01,710 --> 00:40:03,210 But she has no regrets. 544 00:40:03,910 --> 00:40:08,950 You know, my worst day out here is a thousand times better than my best day 545 00:40:08,950 --> 00:40:13,630 there. That is a feeling many who left share, like Cheryl Barlow. 546 00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:18,720 She eventually makes the decision to join her husband, Dee, in life on the 547 00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:19,720 outside. 548 00:40:20,660 --> 00:40:26,620 Having the threat of losing my children hanging over my head, it put a fire 549 00:40:26,620 --> 00:40:31,780 inside of me that I would not, no matter what happened, I was not going to allow 550 00:40:31,780 --> 00:40:33,240 my kids to be taken away. 551 00:40:33,940 --> 00:40:39,580 Today, Cheryl and Dee live outside Phoenix, Arizona, and their children, 552 00:40:39,580 --> 00:40:41,600 of them, are thriving. 553 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:45,420 And it's a happy ending for Wallace Jeffs as well. 554 00:40:45,940 --> 00:40:49,640 He sues the church and wins custody of his children. 555 00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:52,920 At first, they want nothing to do with him. 556 00:40:53,700 --> 00:40:54,780 I won them over. 557 00:40:55,260 --> 00:41:02,080 It took a while, but now they see the light and they're actually grateful that 558 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:03,080 did what I did. 559 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:07,020 Saved them from horrible atrocities. 560 00:41:08,380 --> 00:41:09,380 Life is good. 561 00:41:11,360 --> 00:41:15,760 And that life is good feeling is something Willie Jessup wants to return 562 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:20,180 of Short Creek, to bring the community back to where it once was. 563 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:24,420 We've got to bring sports back. We've got to bring dances back. We've got to 564 00:41:24,420 --> 00:41:28,280 bring empowerment to women to be able to say, I have a right to know where my 565 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:29,280 daughter is. 566 00:41:29,580 --> 00:41:33,780 Jessup now owns the enormous compound Warren ordered built for him. 567 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:36,460 He has turned part of it into a hotel. 568 00:41:37,620 --> 00:41:41,540 and turned what was the storehouse into a thriving public school. 569 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:46,640 You'll see it very typically. You'll see a poor, timid little family with a few 570 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:48,640 prairie dresses walk up into the school. 571 00:41:48,980 --> 00:41:52,840 A month later, they're wearing shorts and whatever, and they've joined a 572 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,740 basketball team, and they're out there at midnight still trying to make free 573 00:41:55,740 --> 00:41:58,980 throws because they've never been able to hit hoops or have the access to it. 574 00:42:05,520 --> 00:42:07,960 There is something of a renaissance going on here. 575 00:42:08,420 --> 00:42:09,980 There is a new library. 576 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:12,040 Playgrounds are being restored. 577 00:42:12,580 --> 00:42:14,020 Holidays are celebrated. 578 00:42:14,340 --> 00:42:16,280 The walls are coming down. 579 00:42:17,500 --> 00:42:24,300 Warren and Lyle Jeffs came into Short Creek emboldened by unrelenting greed 580 00:42:24,300 --> 00:42:26,120 sucked from it everything they could. 581 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:32,560 And now, their victims say they are celebrating the sweet justice they feel. 582 00:42:33,290 --> 00:42:38,790 as the brothers sit behind bars, and they rebuild their lives. 583 00:42:39,650 --> 00:42:43,650 And so it's actually something that just brings a smile to your face to see how 584 00:42:43,650 --> 00:42:48,210 resilient societies can be once we were able to get the cancer out, which was 585 00:42:48,210 --> 00:42:49,410 Lyle Jeffs and his brother.