Polygamist sect leader arrested in Las Vegas

The fugitive leader of a polygamist Mormon sect who was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List has been arrested in southern Nevada…

The fugitive leader of a polygamist Mormon sect who was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List has been arrested in southern Nevada.

Warren Steed Jeffs, 50, was taken into custody after he and two other people were pulled over late last night by a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper on Interstate 15 just north of Las Vegas, FBI spokesman David Staretz said.

The leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was wanted in Utah and Arizona on suspicion of sexual misconduct for allegedly arranging marriages between underage girls and older men.

Since May, Jeffs has been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, with a $50,000 reward offered for information leading to his capture.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter