Law Suit Against Owen Allred 
and The Apostolic United Brethren

UPDATE

Virginia Hill 

vs. 

Owen A. Allred 
 

Part Two

John C. Putvin is a worthy adversary, the type of eccentric personality that writers like to create. He is the ideal antagonist -- intelligent, diabolical, sociopath, that is, he doesn't seem to have feelings of remorse or guilt for the victims of his machinations. The dark, scraggy beard and mustache gives him a Charles Manson-
Rasputin-like appearance and builds intrigue. He is deliberate, methodical, articulate, ruthless and seems to delight in the adventure of risk taking. He is very adept in the manipulation of people and a talented actor. He can portray the whiplash victim or, according to Dennis Matthews, shed tears when ever it is appropriate. He likes to play cloak and dagger and often speaks cryptically, like when he described the AUB holy of holies to Rod Williams.

His bible is the Ayn Rand novel, Atlas Shrugged. From the leading characters of Atlas Shrugged he created and personified the personality of John d'Anconia Galt, an intrepid financier and giver of wise counsel. John Galt has no conscience. It was the John Galt personality that dreamed up the cabal and while watching from the shadows, supervised the laundering of Virginia Hill's money. John d'Anconia Galt purchased used cars and negotiated the purchase of the used car lot, Diamond Automotive Specialties, Inc. And it was the personality of John Galt who took the witness stand on July 30, 2002, and convinced Judge Eyre that he was justified in taking the Fifth Amendment in his deposition.

Don Redd had asked Judge Eyre to compel Putvin to answer the questions where he took the Fifth Amendment, because the statute of limitations had obviously passed. However, Putvin and his attorney, Ron Baker, held an "on camera interview" in the judge's chambers and Putvin was able to convince the Judge that if he was compelled to answer it would still incriminate him. This means that Putvin has apparently still done some criminal act in which he is still punishable.

When it comes to manipulating people and putting on a performance, John Putvin and Tom Green have a lot in common, except where Tom is heterosexually aggressive, John seems to be asexual. The objective of most polygamist men is the acquisition of many wives, in that regard Putvin appears to have no interest. His goal, or goals it would seem, is the acquisition of money and destruction of Owen Allred. Where Tom was busy beating the fundamentalist bushes for young wives and adopted sons, Putvin seemed to occupy most of his time playing monopoly with Virginia's money, playing cloak and dagger games, and portraying the eccentric guru. The rest of his time he spent being both mother and father to his daughter, Deborah, which may help explain why the poor girls has spent so much time in therapy, twelve years, according to Putvin.

After the complaint was filed in 1997, Putvin called a meeting of all defendants. From that time until just a few months ago, Putvin took charge of the defense and AUB paid the legal bills. It was a strange alliance. Owen Allred and John Putvin, arch enemies, the former putting his trust in the latter.

According to Owen Allred and his loyal followers John Putvin was an evil man, yet Owen, LaMoine Jenson, Matthews and others gave Putvin carte blanche. Why would supposedly righteous men place there reputations and wealth under the control of an alleged evil man?

Dennis Matthews may offer the explanation. He told John Llewellyn that Putvin was smarter than all the lawyers in Salt Lake City put together. He felt save and secure with John Putvin in control of the defense, he never lost. John Putvin drew up an affidavit for Owen's signature. Owen told investigator Llewellyn he signed the affidavit without reading it. The affidavit made Owen highly impeachable as many things stated were not true. Owen severed himself from the rest and got his own attorney. The first thing he did was withdraw the flagrant affidavit.

Eventually, the rest of the defendants pulled away from John Putvin and retained Dennis Matthew's attorney, Bel-Ami DeMontreux, a Black man. This surprising event created a new conundrum. Why would a racist organization that discriminated against the black race, retain a Black man to represent it? AUB will not baptize or give the priesthood to a Black man. AUB excommunicates anyone they believe even has a drop of black blood in their veins. They will not associate with anyone who ever married a black person. Some members of AUB have ties with the Aryan Nation raciest organization in Idaho. A few members of AUB believe that the holocaust never happened and was an invention to gain sympathy for the Jews. Back in the 1970s, one of Owen's apostles, George Maycock, who incidentally was excommunicated for allegedly molesting his own children, was circulating a racist book entitled Betrayal of the White Race. Among many other disgusting untruths, the book alleged that had not Abraham Lincoln been assassinated, he would have sent all the blacks back to Africa.

Owen Allred even joined with the others in retaining Bel-Ami DeMontreux, and when Owen went, so did all the AUB corporations. Once again, why did AUB retain a Black man to represent them? Many people in the AUB membership want to know. Rod Williams came up with the only plausible answer. He had been friendly with Dennis Matthews in the 1980s. He recalled that Dennis had read a book where it suggested that if a person must go to court, he should retain a minority attorney, preferably a black attorney because the courts were sympathetic to minorities, and a black man will work hard for less money just to prove himself. In addition, John Putvin told Rod Williams in a taped telephone conversation that Matthews had purchased a book entitled, A Thousand And One Ways To Get Even With Your Enemy.

Incidentally, Bel-Ami DeMontreux is doing a fine job considering what he has to work with.

On July 30th, after Owen sullied his reputation as an honest man, John C. Putvin took the witness stand and entered into evidence several exhibits, some of which were statements from Deborah's therapist. He hoped the exhibits will show that he was in Utah during the statutory period and therefore should be dismissed as a defendant. When he moved to New Zealand in 1991, the statutory clock stopped until he returned to Utah.

Putvin put on a grand performance. His slow, deliberate, articulate manner of speaking and pudginess reminded one of Charles Lawton, but if you have ever read Atlas Shrugged, you would have recognized, cool, conscienceless, evasive, defiant John d'Anconia Galt on the stand. After Judge Eyre adjourned for the day, Putvin rushed up to Rod Williams and asked excitedly, "How did I do? How did I do?" Rod said, "You did real good John."

When Putvin testified why he fled to New Zealand he launched into a lengthy diatribe denouncing Owen Allred as a dishonest fake who harbored child molesters like Joseph Thompson. Attempts to shorten his verbal epistle was fruitless, he was bound and determined to tell his story, his way -- he wasn't about to be put off.

As was to be expected, he turned his sojourn in New Zealand into a life or death event. He claimed he was afraid for his life, that the many sons of Joseph Thompson was out to get him, and that he had reason to believe that Deborah, like her mother, would be molested by Joseph Thompson. It is suspected that Putvin's tirade was an exercise of embellishment. However, after reading Karen Thompson's affidavit as to how she was mentally and sexually abused by Putvin, I can see why he wouldn't want to meet one of her brothers in a dark alley.

At the time Putvin fled to New Zealand, he and Jeff Norman were under investigation by the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and IRS for money laundering. Deputy Kendra Herlin had done an excellent job of documenting the many deposits and withdrawals. Her affidavit in the criminal prosecution of Jeff Norman was very helpful in establishing the culpability of John Putvin, Jeff Norman and tracing Virginia's money. Jeff Norman, who was under indictment for other criminal offenses involving phony oil securities, eventually worked a deal with the United States Attorney, coped a plea and went to prison.

It is the contention of the plaintiff that Putvin fled to New Zealand to avoid criminal and civil prosecution. He knew Virginia had hired a private detective to find him. And it can be presumed that he knew Virginia had visited Dennis Matthews and Owen Allred and were told that he alone had absconded with her money. At the time he was still in cahoots with Matthews and Allred who had intentionally mislead Virginia. He didn't return, except on short visits until the normal four year statute of limitations would have passed.

A sample of the ten questions where Putvin took that Fifth Amendment in his deposition are as follows:

Volume I, Page 60, line 19: 

When you got the money from John Shugart, whose money did you understand that it was?

Volume II, Page 172, line 25: 

Did the cans have money in them?

Volume II, Page 182,line 15: 

And what did you do with monies that were to be used for the purchase of the property?

Volume II, Page 184, line 22: 

And that money was in your possession at one time?

Volume II, Page 192, line 2: 

Did you open any cans?

Volume II, Page 233, line 3: 

What other businesses did you invest the money you received from John Shugart?

After court, Don Redd told Putvin's attorney, Ron Barker, that he would seek immunity for Putvin so he would be forced to testify, but Barker told Redd that he didn't think that would work either. That means that in the disposition of Virginia's money, he may have committed a federal offense. The only thing that comes to mind is the interstate transportation of the stolen cars that were sold on the used car lot that Putvin, in the role of John Galt, purchased in the name of his partner, James Sandmire.

The hearing was continued until August 13, at 2 pm, at which time Don Redd will continue his cross examination of John Putvin.

At the August 13th hearing, Putvin testified that he was not in hiding, that he went to New Zealand to protect his daughter, that he himself was not afraid of anything or anyone.

Roy Potter, who had been hired by Virginia Hill in the Spring of 1990 to locate John Putvin, testified that he searched for three months without ever finding Putvin. He said that both Matthews and Owen Allred told him they didn't know where he was.

Rod Williams testified that the tape recording he received from Putvin was post marked New Zealand. Putvin had testified that he had mailed it to Jim Sandmire, who mailed it to Williams. Putvin suggested that it could have been further altered while in the possession of Sandmire.

While on the stand, Judge Eyre asked Putvin how he altered the Nov. 13th ‘89 tape recording. Putvin said he made three copies, then took parts from the 2nd generation and 3rd generation tapes and dubbed them onto the 1st generation, which is what he sent to Williams. The Judge asked him if after altering the tape recording, he listened to it. He chuckled and said, "No, why would I want to listen to it?"

If Putvin is telling the truth, that he altered the tape by inserting words from a 2nd and 3rd generation tape, whether he realizes it or not, he created a work of art worthy of recognition. The conversation flows smoothly and coherently like one continuous conversation. It is a shame he didn't listen to it, to enjoy what might be considered a masterpiece.

Putvin is unique, an eccentric personality both in appearance and behavior. But is he so eccentric that he would not bother to listen to his creation, a work of such importance as to be used to destroy the character of Owen Allred? Not likely.

The painter stands back probably hundreds of time to view his art, examining colors, context etc. The writer, rewrites his manuscript dozens of times until he feels it is polished and ready for publication. But Putvin, who would have to have spent many tedious hours altering the tape recording, didn't bother to listen to his creation.

John Putvin and Dennis Matthews submitted to Don Redd copies of the ‘89 tape recording they had in their possession. Both tapes were identical to the one mailed to Rod Williams. The tape recording is the single most important piece of evidence in the law suit, and Putvin claims he didn't listen to it. What a guy!

Ron Barton, investigator with the Utah State Attorney General's Office, attended both hearings. The evidentiary hearing was continued until September 24, 2002.

Part Three

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