Samuel Bateman, 48, leader of a polygamous sect near the Arizona-Utah border, faces a precarious plea deal situation due to two co-defendants rejecting parallel offers from prosecutors—a condition crucial to Bateman's plea, possibly leading to the withdrawal of his guilty plea. After the high-profile raid at the polygamist group's compound in September 2022, Bateman faces 51 felony counts related to child marriages and sexual activities.

Bateman was initially arrested in August 2022 by Arizona state police in Flagstaff after a bystander noticed small fingers protruding from a door gap in an enclosed trailer. Authorities discovered three girls aged between 11 and 14 inside the trailer, which lacked proper ventilation and amenities, containing only a makeshift toilet, a sofa, and camping chairs.

Bateman was released on a bond and was arrested again the next month on federal charges of obstructing justice.

Batemen's recruitment efforts began in 2019 when he falsely claimed that Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) who was serving a life sentence plus 20 years, had passed away in prison. Bateman declared himself Jeff's successor, gathering about approximately 50 followers who call themselves "Samuelites."

Bateman had more than 20 wives, with half of them being underage, as revealed in documents filed in the U.S. District Court of Arizona. Shockingly, the youngest of these underage wives was just 9 years old.

Bateman, who declared himself a prophet, pleaded guilty this month to charges of kidnapping and conspiring to transport minors across state lines in what prosecutors say was part of a long-running plan to facilitate sexual activities involving children.

While Bateman's two co-defendants are set to face trial, prosecutors can withdraw his guilty plea but are not obligated to do so under the terms of Bateman's plea offer. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Phoenix has not stated whether they will exercise this option.

Bateman’s attorney, Myles Schneider, told the Associated Press,

We have yet to see it. It’s not on the docket.

Bateman's plea deal recommends a prison term ranging from 20 to 50 years, although one conviction carries a potential life sentence. In his guilty plea, 48-year-old Bateman confessed to marrying underage girls, engaging in sexual activities with them, and organizing group sex, sometimes involving child brides.

Authorities say Bateman established an extensive network across four states -- Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska -- as he splintered from the FLDS, historically centered in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah.

Bateman and his followers adhere to polygamy, a practice condemned by the modern mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also called the Mormon Church. The practice was officially discontinued in 1890. 

According to authorities, two men charged in the case bought luxury vehicles for Bateman. One purchased two Bentleys, while the other male co-defendant bought him a Range Rover. Scheduled hearings are set for Monday and Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich to address the plea offers declined by Bateman’s co-defendants.

Currently, Bateman's sentencing is scheduled for July 15.