even as the church publicly disavowed the practice. She compared the government effort to seeking to take the home of someone who borrowed money from Martha Stewart after she was busted for insider trading. Gaming regulators approved the sale in 1993 and issued the necessary permits. John Daniel Kingston has been charged with one count of child abuse, a second- degree felony. (59 reviews) "The staff were super frienly and helpful. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled for any of the defendants. Chances are many Salt Lakers have unknowingly patronized the extended polygamous clans' companies, which include vending machine businesses, an ice distributor, accounting and financial firms, grocery and clothing stores, a fitness spa, and even a preschool. a tidy but nondescript brick building it 3212 S. State St., and a nearby / CBS News. The girl was David 0. The Latter Day Church of Christ,[1] is considered a Mormon fundamentalist denomination by some in the Latter Day Saint movement. ages of 14 and 16 - long before they stores, a fitness spa, and even a preschool. (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Federal prosecutors have given notice they want to seize homes and businesses belonging to rank-and-file members of the polygamous Davis County Cooperative Society, also known as the Kingston Group. [45] Members allege to have been targeted for audit at a rate over 9x the published IRS average for the general population, with no pattern of fraud being found outside of a couple of bad-actors. The Kingston sisters were able to help her escape although Ava wanted to stay with her family, she knew she couldn't give up her sense of self and continue watching the cycle of abuse continue. penchant for placing businesses and real estate holdings under corporate Adding to the Kingstons's coffers are farms and businesses in northern Utah, and and holdings in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, California and Nevada -- including business associations with casinos, the Observer's source said. Prosecutors also have filed notice of intent to seize property from the sect's incorporated church, the Latter-Day Church of Christ. (Mormon doctrine, The Observer attempted to reach Carl E. Kingston At the end of December, we were able to work with the city, Kingston explained. She suffered from. 10,320. The companies included Standard Restaurant Supply, and A-Fab Engineering and multiple financial firms. Two locations serve as primary headquarters for many Kingston operations; polygamous clans' companies, which include vending machine businesses, However, if a spouse is coerced or underage in a plural marriage in Utah, it becomes a felony. A check of public documents in Salt Lake County alone of business and Clyde Kingston died in 2005. One member of the organization operates Bail Bond Specialists - the firm that posted a $10,000 bond to release David 0. June 15, 2011. Members of the Kingston Group operate several businesses and schools in the suburbs of Utahs capital. Heidi Foster, a member of the Kingston Group, on Friday called the attempts to seize all the properties insane. She said the people living in the homes had no role in the fraud. The raids were part of an investigation into an alleged money-laundering scheme funding lavish lifestyles of some prominent Kingstons, from mansions to exotic cars, while other members live near the poverty line. All rights reserved. The brothers remain in jail. By February 2016, the evidentiary hearing still hadnt taken place. The government alleges the brothers hired the enforcer to intimidate and harm potential witnesses -- and those witnesses could very likely be these whistleblowers. "So, we were given just stacks and stacks of checks, and just signing them, signing them and they would just deposit that and just whatever account they needed.". This was told as a funny story in Amandas family, the lawsuit alleges. had not returned the phone call. said. Corp.; Fountain of Youth Health and Athletic Club; East Side Market; Mountain After that 2016 raid, his campaign put $50,985 from the company or people associated with it in escrow, pending the outcome of the federal investigation and any criminal charges. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. never publicly endorsed polygamy, according to historian Richard S. Van name. They even but argued many members of the Kingston Group bore some culpability if only for not reporting what they knew about the frauds. In a response to the allegations against it, the Kingston Group also known officially as the Davis County Cooperative Society and internally as the Order said its current policy prohibits plural marriage for members under 18. "Mary, who are these individuals?" (Leah Hogsten | Tribune file photo) WRE or Washakie Renewable Energy employs 40 people. Carl E. Kingston is listed as the registered agent for many Kingston business holdings; he is also the family member the Kingston clan relies on to represent them in any legal wranglings. at WRE," the agreement read, received a phone call from an individual who used the pseudonym Mr. They are scattered across the northern part of the state, from suburban Bountiful to isolated Washakie, where one of their holdings abuts a Shoshone cemetery. The Kingston family owns an enormous amount of businesses in the Utah area which employ Kingston Clan members, and Merlin Kingston was no exception to this. We knew that something had to change," said Mary Nelson. (Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Lake Elsinore Econo Lodge Casino in Lake Elsinore, California. composition of his family.) "They're pretty clever," the source said. has been charged with one count of child abuse, a second- degree felony. "Then all of a sudden, there was vandalism. At times, the Order has members forge and fabricate documents, often against their will, to further [their] self-interests, the lawsuit alleges. In March 2016, as the second background investigation was underway, Ted Kingston appeared in front of the California Horse Racing Board to ask permission to install off-track betting. While the clan shares many of the beliefs of other polygamous groups, it stands apart in practicing incest, former members . after he was charged earlier this month with two counts of incest and one His brother faces up to 20, and Rachel and Sally Kingston each face up to 15 years in prison. In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, the sects ex-members allege: It is largely through illegal marriage practices that the [Kingston Group] is able to unlawfully make girls and their children religious martyrs and traffic them for sexual and labor purposes.. businesses if it did not start paying him tithing, according to authors "So, it began with just like cars parked down the street right, just watching us," Bryan Nelson explained. the largest polygamous group, ranking behind such Utah families as the "What made you decide to become a whistleblower?" Jessica Christensen, a former member of the sect who now stars on the reality show "Escaping Polygamy" said Friday evening she was "super shocked" at the guilty pleas. Prison sentences ranged between six and 40 years. Personal and business incomes are deposited to the sect, which then returns money the individual or firm needs for expenses. It has become the subject of increased scrutiny. A Mormon leader asked Juanita Brooks if her membership in the faith meant anything to her. "There was nothing that was going to get in my way of stopping this," he added. Kingston began preaching polygamy amongst fellow members of the LDS Church and distributing pamphlets and the book he had co-written, Laman Manasseh Victorious: A Message of Salvation and Redemption to His People Israel, First to Ephraim and Manasseh. Wagoner, author of Mormon Polygamy: A History. The real estate in Salt Lake County alone totals $14.4 million, based on the market values listed on the assessors website, and include 25 properties that have owners who are not defendants in the fraud. ", "C250 - Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee", "DCCS Self-Sustaining Policy, Contributions to the Community", "The Polygamist Accused of Scamming the U.S. Out of $500 Million", "Former WRE CEO testifies about money paid to DCCS Entities", "Jury Finds Los Angeles Businessman Guilty in $1 Billion Biodiesel Tax Fraud Scheme", "Polygamists Admit $512 Million Fraud for U.S. Fuel-Tax Credits", "CEO And CFO Of Utah Biodiesel Company And California Businessman Charged In $500 Million Fuel Tax Credit Scheme", "WRE Defendants arrested and awaiting trial", "Trial postponed for last defendant in fraud case involving members of the Kingston polygamous family", "Complaint and Jury Demand, Grant, et al. A check of public documents in Salt Lake County alone of business and real estate holdings reveals an astonishing array of enterprises. David Kingston is alleged to have married his 16-year-old niece Mary Ann Nelson, who attempted to run away but was apprehended and beaten by her father, John Daniel Kingston. for comment on the family's holdings, but Mr. Kingston as of press time They got married and contacted the IRS and FBI, helping uncover the alleged a $511 million scam. Doctrinally, members of the LDCJC try to adhere to the teachings of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. The Kingston Group said the concept of bleeding the beast is abhorrent and was never a tenet of its organization. Then there was a brick thrown through our window.". Jan 2, 2020 - Kingston Clan member Nevin Pratt. Cooperative Society, in 1935 after having a power struggle with other fundamentalist This is the business run by all of the members of the Kingston clan and is said to be worth $2million. Mary Nelson, 23, tells "Whistleblower" host Alex Ferrer about how she escaped the Kingston clan, also known as The Order, with the help of her boyfriend Bryan. which in turn sees after families' needs. Chino_Blanco 5 days ago. He is defending David Five people, including four Utah family members associated with a polygamous clan, were sentenced to federal prison last week for a billion-dollar tax fraud scheme associated with their biofuel company, according to a statement released April 7. Its two stories tall with a gray and brown exterior and a few palm trees in the parking lots. This practice has been attributed to "endogamous preference and the small size of the groups population" according to recent research from the University of California. A trial threatened to air the inner workings of the Kingston Group. The 47-year-old girl is now in protective state custody. Their Utah-based empire is huge, however, and spans at least six states. leaders. Pro-polygamy groups estimate there are about 30,000 to 40,000 people in Utah who live in polygamist communities. That helps explain why, In court, prosecutors have accused Jacob Kingston of sending some of the money to his church and using other proceeds to buy homes, sports cars and sending $134 million to Turkey for properties and business ventures. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Two Salt Lake City biodiesel executives linked to a polygamous group will stay in jail after prosecutors argued they could flee to Turkey if released ahead of trial in an alleged $511 million tax credit scheme. aren't sparked at dances that occur monthly or so, leaders of the group [39] The 2022 complaint was filed by attorney, Roger Hoole,[39] an attorney known for representing ex-members of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In 1998, according to the complaint, gaming regulators were notified that Kingston-Knighton had sold her interest to her father at some unknown prior point in time., In 1999, the three remaining owners applied for their licenses. The plight of the girl, identified in court records only as "M.N.," [46], In July 2019, Jacob Kingston, Isaiah Kingston, and two others pled guilty to participating in a fraud scheme masterminded by Lev Derman, a non-member and Armenian national. Adding to the Kingstons's coffers are farms and businesses in northern They say, 'Don't ask questions,'" she told Ferrer. from the family - says an oft-published $170 million figure is laughably The women listed as homeowners are all second, third or fourth wives or whatever down the line, Ellis said. She said some of the property owners probably had no idea what was happening at Washakie. on to represent them in any legal wranglings. Jeffs) and the Apostolic United Brethren Church (led by Owen Allred). It marked the latest chapter in Utahs long, complicated history with polygamy. deductible, Report a missed paper by emailingsubscribe@sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe@sltrib.com. The background investigation for what is now Lake Elsinore Casino and its owners was completed by September 2008. to have more than 30 wives. [8][3] There are approximately 3,500 members,[9] some of whom are known to practice polygamy. Donate to the newsroom now. J. Ortell Kingston aggressively pursued a financially-expansive agenda for the Davis County Cooperative Society Inc.[25] in the hopes of improving the financial condition of his followers. The delay appears to have been a side effect of the law change in the late 1990s. The lawsuit contains explicit details of how Kingston Group leaders who also own and operate several businesses and schools in the suburbs of Utahs capital, Salt Lake City allegedly arrange incestuous and sometimes underage marriages between teenage girls and adult men with exalted status to produce hundreds of children. "Those are all my siblings," she replied. It was February in Salt Lake, cold and gray, and in the foothills above the . [7] Upon the creation of the LDCJC, most members of the DCCS became members of the church and most retain dual membership in both organizations to this day. The two Kingston brothers and their business partner, Lev Dermen, are in jail awaiting trial, scheduled to start in July and last six weeks. This article is more than 6 months old. South Salt Lake, Utah ( KUTV) When several businesses inside the Kingston polygamist empire, including Washakie Renewable Energy, was raided by federal agents Wednesday, officials where tight . The church, however, publicly Mr. Smith had 33 wives by some accounts; The board unanimously approved a motion to allow horse wagering at Lake Elsinore Casino. They got married and contacted the . sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. [30] This practice lasted only a short time and was abandoned sometime before 1940. On Feb. 10. Various reports Testimony in the 2020 trial for Lev Aslan Dermen . Its not like that all. Young women are married off to other members of the clan between the Illustration by Sean McCabe. Before a 2016 federal raid on Washakie Renewable Energy offices and other businesses associated with the Kingston Group, the energy company was one of the highest-profile businesses in Utah. sltrib. Articles of Incorporation of the Davis County Cooperative Society, 7 February 1941. Saluting the brave brilliant author of "Mountain Meadows Massacre". Nine of the plaintiffs claim the Kingston Group made them begin working during their elementary or preschool days through their late teenage years. Nov 29, 2019 - Explore Kingston Clan's board "Bountiful Baby Kingston owned business" on Pinterest. The church, however, publicly renounced polygamy in 1890 and, as a condition of gaining statehood for Utah in 1896, political leaders were forced to include a ban on the practice in Article III of the state's constitution, which ensures religious freedom while "forever" prohibiting polygamous or plural marriages. Jeremy Kingston was sentenced to a year in prison in 2004 for taking LuAnn Kingston, his cousin and aunt, as his fourth wife in 1994; their relationship began when he was 24 and she was 15. There. v. Kingston, et al., Third Judicial District Court of Salt Lake County, UT (2022)", "Fallout from Washakie fraud could cost polygamous Kingston Group members their businesses and homes", https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/07/29/fallout-washakie-fraud/, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "An Ordinance, incorporating the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Latter_Day_Church_of_Christ&oldid=1146100374, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from March 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Jason Kingston allegedly had a relationship with his half-sister Andrea Johnson, who became pregnant in 1992.
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