2 arrested in grand jury probe of FLDS Church

The arrests of two prominent members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church has revealed the existence of a federal grand jury investigation — presumably into the polygamous church and its fugitive leader Warren Jeffs — the Deseret Morning News has learned.

James Allred, 58, and Mica Barlow, 36, were subpoenaed to testify before the federal grand jury in Phoenix, Ariz., on April 5.

"They were subpoenaed to appear and testify in front of the grand jury," said Dennis Harkins, a deputy U.S. Marshal in Phoenix. "They didn't do that so they were given a contempt of court warrant to self-surrender."

A federal judge issued bench warrants for their arrests on contempt of court charges. Allred and Barlow surrendered on April 6 at the U.S. Marshal's Office inside the federal courthouse in Phoenix, Harkins said.

"They were booked in on contempt of court and are sitting in the facility until they decide to talk or until the judge releases them," he said Wednesday. The men are currently in a private prison that contracts with federal authorities in Florence, Ariz.

U.S. Marshals would not say any more about the case. There is no public record on the arrests or the warrants issued for Allred or Barlow in U.S. District Court in Arizona.

Allred works as the assistant postmaster of the Hildale-Colorado City Post Office. Barlow is a police officer with the Colorado City Town Marshal's Office. On Wednesday, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff told the Deseret Morning News his office had forwarded the news about the contempt of court charge involving Barlow to the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council.

Federal prosecutors in Arizona declined to comment on the arrests or the existence of a grand jury investigation.

"I can't discuss any details at all about that case," said Sandy Raynor, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney for Arizona.

In January, FBI agents reportedly served subpoenas to people at an FLDS Saturday meeting. FBI agents would not discuss what was done, but confirmed it was part of the ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of Warren Jeffs.

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com

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