Cult leader's case to go to jury

Macon Telegraph/January 22, 2004
By Mark Niesse

Brunswick, Ga. -- Prosecutors argued that cult leader Malachi York moved children to his compound in Georgia to molest them, while York's attorney said the criminal case was part of a conspiracy to discredit the leader.

The attorneys made their closing arguments Thursday morning. The jury for the child molestation case against York was expected to begin their deliberations later Thursday.

York, 58, is on trial in U.S. District Court for 13 counts of child molestation and racketeering.

During the three-week trial, 14 witnesses testified York molested them while they lived with the Nuwaubian cult, which moved in 1993 from New York to an Egyptian-themed compound in rural Putnam County.

Seven witnesses said on the stand that York did not molest them. Some said the molestation accusations were part of a concocted conspiracy by York's son to frame his father.

In his closing arguments, prosecutor Richard Moultry called York a corrupt leader who abused peoples' trust.

Defense attorney Adrian Patrick questioned whether it was physically possible for York to have so much sex with alleged victims who took the stand. He used their testimony to show that it would have been absurd for York to have molested children a total of 11,568 times from 1993 to 2001.

Then Patrick displayed a chart showing connections between York's son, Jacob York, and all the victims who testified against York.

"Jacob York has a vendetta against his father," Patrick said. Defense witnesses said Jacob York hated his father because York wouldn't pay for his musical career.

Patrick closed his defense showing pictures of happy young Nuwaubians singing and dancing at a festival. Why, he asked jurors, if there was such widespread molestation, would they be so jubilant?

The jury will consider accusations that York used his cult for his own sexual gratification and monetary enrichment. Members of the group weren't paid for their work - instead, York managed the money and decided who to reward and punish, prosecutors said.

During the deliberations, the jury won't be allowed to leave. During the trial, the jury was not sequestered.

York's trial was moved from Macon to Brunswick because of pretrial publicity. He did not testify in his defense.

Over the years, York has incorporated Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Egyptian mysticism and space aliens into his quasi-religious teachings. He has unsuccessfully argued he has American Indian heritage and should not be judged by the U.S. court system.