Leroy Jeffs: The FLDS Accountant Who Refused to Testify Against His Brother

Leroy Jeffs is the oldest son of Rulon Jeffs, the former prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), and his fourth wife, Marilyn Steed. He is also the older brother of Warren Jeffs, the current leader of the FLDS, who is serving a life sentence for sexually abusing underage girls. Leroy Jeffs was once a prominent member of the FLDS, serving as the head accountant and board member of the trust that operated the church and its affiliated companies. However, he was excommunicated by his brother in 2005 and spent four months in federal prison for refusing to testify against him in 2006. This article will explore the life and role of Leroy Jeffs in the FLDS and the reasons behind his loyalty to his brother.

Early Life and Career

Leroy Jeffs was born in 1958 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He followed his father’s footsteps and pursued a career in accounting, working for various businesses owned by the FLDS. He also married several wives, some of whom were underage, and fathered many children. According to a former FLDS member, Alicia Rohbock, who was married to Rulon Jeffs until his death, she fell in love with Leroy Jeffs and had two children with him. However, their relationship was not approved by Warren Jeffs, who took over as the prophet of the FLDS after his father’s death in 2002.

Leroy Jeffs was also involved in the financial affairs of the FLDS, managing the assets and records of the church and its subsidiaries. He was a board member of the United Effort Plan (UEP) Trust, which was created by the FLDS in 1942 to hold the communal property of the church members. The UEP Trust owned land, buildings, farms, and businesses in Utah, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and South Dakota, worth an estimated $114 million in 2005. Leroy Jeffs had access to the financial statements and transactions of the UEP Trust, as well as the records of the plural marriages performed by the FLDS, including those involving underage girls and older men.

Excommunication and Imprisonment

In 2005, Warren Jeffs excommunicated Leroy Jeffs from the FLDS, along with several other high-ranking members, for reasons that are unclear. Some speculate that Warren Jeffs was paranoid and jealous of his brother’s influence and popularity, while others suggest that Leroy Jeffs had disobeyed or questioned his brother’s authority. Leroy Jeffs was also accused of having an affair with one of his brother’s wives, which he denied. Warren Jeffs reassigned Leroy Jeffs’ wives and children to other men and sent him to Oklahoma to repent.

In 2006, Leroy Jeffs was arrested in Arizona and served with a subpoena to testify before a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City, Utah, in relation to the FLDS and the UEP Trust. The grand jury was investigating the allegations of sexual abuse, child marriages, polygamy, and tax evasion by the FLDS and its leaders, including Warren Jeffs, who was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list at the time. Leroy Jeffs refused to testify, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. He also claimed that he had no knowledge of the whereabouts or activities of his brother. He was held in contempt of court and sent to federal prison for four months, until he was released in December 2006.

Loyalty and Silence

Leroy Jeffs never cooperated with the authorities or spoke publicly about his brother or the FLDS. He remained loyal to his brother, despite being banished from the church and his family. He also never renounced his faith or joined any of the groups that helped former FLDS members to transition to the outside world. He lived a secluded and quiet life in Utah, avoiding the media and the public. He died in 2018, at the age of 60, from natural causes.

The reasons behind Leroy Jeffs’ loyalty and silence are unknown. Some believe that he was afraid of his brother’s wrath or the consequences of betraying his faith. Others think that he was brainwashed or indoctrinated by the FLDS and its teachings. Still others suggest that he was protecting his family and friends, who were still in the FLDS, from persecution or retaliation. Whatever the case, Leroy Jeffs remained a mystery and a mystery to the end, taking his secrets and stories with him to the grave.

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