Overview
- In April 2026, the Netflix series Trust Me: The False Prophet renewed attention on Samuel Bateman’s rise inside the Fundamentalist LDS offshoot and the evidence that brought him down.
- Bateman, who cast himself as Warren Jeffs’s successor, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to conspiracy to transport a minor for sexual activity and to conspiracy to kidnap, and he received a 50‑year federal sentence in 2025.
- Director Rachel Dretzin says Bateman still speaks to his wives from prison through frequent phone access, which keeps his influence alive for some followers.
- Former adult wives Moretta Johnson and Naomi “Nomz” Bistline served jail time, testified against him, and are now rebuilding their lives, with Moretta leaving the community and Nomz studying psychology.
- Courts also sentenced key male enforcers, including 25 years for Moroni Johnson after house arrest, 35 years for Torrance Bistline, and life for LaDell Bistline.