Polygamous sect leader Lyle Jeffs has fled home confinement in Salt Lake City less than two weeks after he was let out of jail pending trial on charges in a multimillion-dollar food stamp fraud scheme.
A warrant for Jeffs' arrest was issued Sunday afternoon after he took off sometime over the weekend, said U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch. She said authorities aren't releasing details about how he got loose.
U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart released Jeffs from jail June 9 after several previous requests were denied. Jeffs was ordered to wear a GPS monitor and stay in a Salt Lake County house, except for going to work, doctor's appointments and court hearings. He was also required to give up his passport.
In granting Jeffs' release, Stewart said the other 10 defendants in the fraud case who have been let out of jail have complied with the court's conditions. Stewart also acknowledged that Jeffs' jail time would be longer than expected with the trial being pushed back to October.
Prosecutors objected to his release, calling Jeffs a flight risk. They also warned that witnesses would clam up out of fear of reprisal from Jeffs, who runs day-to-day operations in the community on the Utah-Arizona border.
