RCMP Sgt. Tim Shields and Attorney-General Wally Oppal announced Wednesday that the RCMP arrested two Bountiful residents , Winston K. Blackmore , 52 , and James Oler , 44 , on charges of polygamy .
Wednesday
rcmp sgt. tim shields attorney-general wally oppal announce wednesday rcmp arrest bountiful resident winston k. blackmore 52 james oler 44 charge polygamy
RCMP Sgt. Tim Shields and Attorney-General Wally Oppal announced <m> Wednesday </m> that the RCMP arrested two Bountiful residents , Winston K. Blackmore , 52 , and James Oler , 44 , on charges of polygamy .
Bountiful polygamous leaders charged
RCMP Sgt. Tim Shields and Attorney-General Wally Oppal announced <m> Wednesday </m> that the RCMP arrested two Bountiful residents , Winston K. Blackmore , 52 , and James Oler , 44 , on charges of polygamy .
The arrests are the culmination of the most recent seven-month charge assessment review by special prosecutor Terrence Robertson .
Shields said both Oler and Blackmore were arrested Wednesday morning without incident by eight plainclothes RCMP officers in unmarked vehicles .
Both men are currently in the Cranbrook RCMP detachment lockup , but are expected to be released once they appear before a justice of the peace Wednesday afternoon .
The polygamy charge against Blackmore involves 20 individuals , while the charge against Oler involves only two .
Blackmore leads about half the Bountiful commune , while Oler leads the other half .
Last June , Oppal hired Robertson to investigate whether charges should be laid against the openly polygamist members of the Bountiful commune , where older men routinely are married , legally and common-law , to much younger women .
Oppal instructed B.C. 's Criminal Justice Branch to review the latest developments in an ongoing police investigation and reconsider criminal charges , after two previous prosecutors warned such charges could trigger a Charter challenge based on freedom of religion .
Oppal has stated his intention to punish any transgressions of laws to protect children .
Blackmore recently accused Oppal of religious persecution for pursuing the police investigation .