FLDS MEMBERS CHARGED WITH HUMAN SMUGGLING IN IRON COUNTY
SUSPECTS CONNECTED TO MEXICO AND FAMILY HISTORY OF CARTEL VIOLENCE
By: Sachet A. Sullivan
Iron County authorities arrested two people Friday afternoon, suspected of being involved in a human smuggling operation in Beryl, Utah.
Jolene Stubbs and her spouse Dayer Melchor Lebaron were both booked into the Iron County Jail on two counts of human smuggling — both second-degree felonies. Stubbs also faces an additional second-degree-felony of kidnapping.
Court records indicate late Thursday evening, Detectives with the Iron County Sheriff’s Office received a neglect report from the St George Medical Center concerning two male children living in Beryl, who were suspected of being neglected after their mother brought one of the children in for respiratory distress.
Court records show that Iron County Sheriff detectives received a neglect report from the St. George Medical Center late Thursday afternoon. The report concerned two male children living in Beryl after their mother brought one of them in for respiratory distress, raising suspicions of neglect.
While talking with an ICSO Detective and the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS), the mother reportedly told investigators that her 15-year-old daughter was prevented from accompanying them to hospital by Jolene Stubbs, her employer.
The mother stated that Stubbs told her that the juvenile needed to remain in Beryl to babysit her six grandchildren while the mother worked at Stubbs pinenut processing plant’s.
Stubbs allegedly tried convincing the mother that the juvenile should stay in Beryl if the mother decided to take her other child to the Emergency Room. The Mother told investigators she denied Stubbs request and asked for her daughter to go with her.
Court records are unclear on specific details but allege that at a certain point, Stubbs began threatening to keep the juvenile daughter if the Mother did not return from the hospital.
Despite the mother denying Stubb’s request, Stubbs’ daughter-in-law, Abigail Swandal allegedly drove the juvenile girl from Beryl to Elko, Nevada to babysit her five children while she sold pinenuts.
The mother and her husband both told investigators that they were not consulted about their daughter being taken out of state, nor did they give anyone permission to take their daughter to Elko.
Both parents signed witness statements stating they never authorized anyone to take their daughter out of state.
Court records further indicate that after the family’s arrival to Beryl, the mother repeatedly told Stubbs they wanted to leave but were allegedly told that they weren’t allowed to leave until their debt was paid.
The records further state that Stubbs had allegedly promised to give the Mother money and help the family establish residency once they got to the United States so long as the family worked through the end of August.
When August ended, Stubbs allegedly recanted and extended the offer if the family stayed until the end of November to January.
At this time, authorities with ICSO aren’t releasing any of the financial details regarding this exchange.
According to the charging documents filed in support of the arrests, the mother- a United States Citizen, her 15-year-old daughter, two male children, and their Mexican national father were illegally transported into the United States, which Lebaron and Stubbs allegedly facilitated.
The family reportedly met Lebaron and Stubbs while living in Chihuahua, Mexico after the father had recently been deported from the United States.
Court records indicate that he was hired by Stubbs to perform construction on her home in Mexico.
During his time, he learned Stubbs and her spouse Lebaron, were assembling workers to harvest and process pine nuts in Utah and Nevada, on a farm that has been owned and operated by Lebaron for more than 41 years.
Some time in 2024, Stubbs allegedly arranged for the father to be illegally transported into the United States after she gave him more than $3,000 to be used to hire a guide, also known as a “coyote” to accompany him across the border. In exchange, the family would work on Lebaron’s farm to pay off the suspected smuggling debt.
Coyotes are often used by drug cartels and other criminal organizations to help facilitate the smuggling of illegal immigrants into the United States. They are often considered armed and very dangerous.
Court records allege Stubbs is suspected of intentionally detaining and arranging the transportation of a 15-year-old juvenile, without the consent of the juvenile’s mother or father, a substantial distance, across a state line which under Utah code is considered kidnapping.
At some point during the process of bringing the family to the US, Stubbs hired the 15-year-old juvenile to watch her six grandchildren for $1,500 a month. Stubbs is also allegedly responsible for driving the girl from Mexico to Beryl.
Both Stubbs and Lebaron are suspected of using coercion to facilitate the transportation of the father and 15-year-old juvenile into the United States. Court documents describe these actions as a direct violation of Utah State Code 76-5-308, “human trafficking for labor.”
Iron County Attorney Chad Dotson, confirmed that the missing girl was picked up in Elko and brought back to her family by law enforcement.
Both suspects are being considered flight risks due to being dual-citizens of Mexico and America and being requested to be held without bail.
Lebaron is suspected of being associated with Colonia Lebaron, an off-shoot fundamentalist Mormon community close to Chihuahua, Mexico.
The group deviated from the official Latter-Day Saint church in the late 1800’s and settled in Mexico after the LDS Church abandoned its practice of polygamy.
Colonia Lebaron is most commonly known for its founder, Alma Dayer Lebaron Sr., who is regarded as the Father of numerous prominent leaders and church founders in Mormon Fundamentalism such as Ervil Lebaron, who many refer to as the Mormon Manson.
Ervil Lebaron earned this nickname after he was found guilty for more than 22 murders in the 1970’s surrounding blood atonement, a doctrine once taught from the pulpit by early prophets Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.
He is also responsible for ordering the murders of other fundamentalist leaders, including his own brother and Rulon C. Allred, the President of another FLDS off-shoot, commonly referred to as the “Kingston Clan” or “AUB – Apostolic United Brethren”.
Due to an ongoing investigation into the allegations against both suspects, officials with the ICSO are not making any official comment at this time.
However, when asked by TZT News if there was any relation between Lebaron and Colonia Lebaron in Mexico… Sgt. Shawn Peterson stated “they did come from Mexico”.
Genealogy records from familysearch.org indicate that Dayer Melchor Lebaron may be the great grandson of Alma Dayer Lebaron who established Colonia Lebaron in Mexico.
The records detail and list Daniel Dayer Melchor Lebaron as the son of Maria De La Luz Melchor Buitron and Alma Dayer Lebaron, Jr. who is listed as the son of Colonia Lebaron’s founder Alma Dayer Lebaron, Sr.
The records do not give much detail surrounding Daniel Dayer Melchor Lebaron’s children but do state that he was married to two women.
Daniel Dayer Melchor Lebaron married Maria Gonzalez in 1958 and took Karen Stubbs as his 2nd wife in 1968. The records indicate he died sometime around 2005.
It is common for FLDS families to keep prestigious family names together through marriage. Aside from plural marriage, the FLDS are commonly known for placement marriage, which often consolidates power among a few chosen families.
The Lebaron family is also known for being victims of numerous Mexican drug cartel attacks, specifically in 2019.
This was a heavily publicized event, a caravan of FLDS Mothers and children were traveling from Colonia Lebaron to another neighboring FLDS Colony in Mexico.
At the time they were attacked by a drug cartel, resulting in the deaths of 3 women, four small children and two infants according to an article published by BBC in November, 2020.
Other records indicate that 2019 wasn’t an isolated attack. In 2009, Eric Lebaron was held hostage for ransom but later released unharmed due to his family not paying the requested $1 million dollar bond.
A few months later, Eric’s brother Benjamin was kidnapped and murdered for leading an anti-crime protest in Mexico.
Mexico ambush: Mormon families waiting for justice a year on from massacre (bbc.com)
The LeBaron family in Mexico… a history of conflict – The Yucatan Times
LeBaron family targeted by Mexican cartels before, according to family member | CNN
LeBaron family, tied to Americans killed in Mexico, had run-ins with Mexican drug cartels – CBS News
The LeBaron family: What we know about the Mormons killed in Mexico – ABC News
Last victim of Mexico border killings buried as others leave | AP News
Mormons in Mexico: A brief history of polygamy, cartel violence and faith (theconversation.com)
$4.6 billion judgment made against Juarez cartel in caravan attack (bismarcktribune.com)
Juarez cartel ordered to pay $4.6 billion for killings of 9 Americans | WKRN News 2
Inside a Father’s Desperate Quest to Sue the Juárez Cartel | Vanity Fair
Mormon Blood Atonement (jstor.org)
Field-MormonBloodAtonement-1886.pdf
Field, Kate. “Mormon Blood Atonement.” The North American Review, vol. 143, no. 358, 1886, pp. 262–67. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25101102. Accessed 15 Sept. 2024.
Daniel Dayer LeBaron Melchor (1956–2005) (familysearch.org)
Alma Dayer LeBaron (1918–2009) (familysearch.org)
Alma Dayer LeBaron Jr (1918-2009) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree
Daniel Dayer Lebaron Melchor (1956-2005) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree
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