Arizona polygamist convicted of sex crimes

A jury in Kingman, Ariz., has convicted a polygamist man on a pair of sex-crimes charges.

Kelly Fischer was found guilty on charges of sex with a minor and conspiracy to commit sex with a minor, the Mohave County Attorney's Office said Friday. The 38-year-old Colorado City, Ariz., man is accused of marrying an underage girl in a polygamous union arranged by fugitive FLDS Church leader Warren Jeffs.

With no victims or other witnesses coming forward, Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith used birth certificates and ex-FLDS members' testimonies to make his case. Fischer faces up to two years in prison when he is sentenced next month. He is one of eight men scheduled to face trial on these charges. Dale Barlow, 48, is scheduled to face trial on August 8.

In other developments involving the FLDS Church, 10 men from the polygamous border towns of Hildale and Colorado City — who couldn't be found to be served subpoenas — unexpectedly responded in court Friday.

Three lawyers representing the 10 men showed up in St. George's 5th District Court to receive the subpoenas, which demand documents related to an Arizona investigation into the troubled Colorado City Unified School District.

"They are willing to cooperate with these subpoenas and provide the information as requested," said deputy Washington County Attorney Jerry Jaeger.

Prosecutors have tried in vain since May to serve the subpoenas on 17 men wanted in the case. Some had moved away. Others couldn't be found to take the papers. Finally, Jaeger had notices posted on home doors and took an advertisement out in a St. George newspaper.

"When they saw their name and that a warrant could be issued for their arrest, I think that's what made them pay attention," he said.

The men have been ordered to produce documents related to Jeffrey P. Jessop, the former financial director of the Colorado City Unified School District. Several Salt Lake City businesses were also subpoenaed for documents. An Arizona grand jury has presumably been investigating the troubled district and its finances. The state of Arizona took control of the district in 2005, after allegations of mismanagement and teachers working months without pay.

Jaeger said the men may have been reluctant to answer because of Jeffs, who is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.

"I hear from their attorneys that they are worried this is a ploy to bring them in and put pressure on them to tell where Warren Jeffs is," Jaeger said Friday. "This had nothing to do with Warren Jeffs."

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