warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised. This story contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some readers discretion advised
In 1986, Niki Lopez lives with her family at 717 Bushwick Avenue, home to a secretive group called the Nuwaubian Nation in the heart of Brooklyn–alarmingly, in 1993, the whole community vanishes without a trace. Nearly ten years later, on May 8th, 2002, over 200 federal agents prepare to storm a seemingly “ancient Egyptian” compound in rural Putnam County, Georgia.
Inside, nearly 200 families live under the control of Nuwaubian Nation leader, Dwight “Malachi” York. In order to get justice for all the victims before it’s too late, it’s up to Niki to escape, confront her past, and expose the truth behind one of the darkest cases in American history.
pay attention to these children , they are just two of hundreds of kids who were reported missing by their parents between 1993 and 2001.
This footage shows where the kids were found…
A 400 acre compound isolated in a rural part of the state of Georgia.
Where normally no outsider is allowed entrance.
The footage shows massive pyramids and towering sphinx ..
and strange monuments.
Inside, everyone appears happy, waving at the camera .
But behind the smiles these people are iding a disturbing seceret.
When the local sheriffs investigated the missing children, they were met at the gate by armed men,while what really went on inside the compouund remained a secret for decades.
Doctors in Georgia started noticing an alarming patterns, multiple hospitals admitting dozens of children from the compound as young as 11 years old who were pregnant.
The FBI quickly got involved, planning a raid on the compound to save the hundreds of children living behind the gates.
But the FBI was afraid of having a repeat of the attack in Waco, Texas. a cult raid which saw doxens of young children murdered and sparked mass hysteria.
The FBI would have no idea what they were up against until one 7 year old girl escaped the compound before it was too late.
She was the only one whocould expose the truth.
It’s 1977, in New York City,2 year old Niki is living with her mother in a small apartment in Queens , New York a neighborhood riddled with crime and violence.
Heavy on crime ,heavy on murder, every day as Niki’s mom leaves for work, she experiences the brutality of the stress of New York.
She think about little Niki, this is not the world sh wants her to grow up in, but with little money,the sigle doesn’t have many options.
But one day everything changes when Niki’s mother is approached by a man in a long white garment.
He hands her a book and points at the address printed on the cover.
that night,she becomes filled with curiosity and reads the book cover to cover, finally feeling that her prayers and hopes for a better life are being answered.
Immediately, she decide that she will visit the man the next day.
As she walks down the street ,she proceeds with her usual caution, but as she approaches 717 Bushwick Avenue, she feels the air around her begin to change.
Slowly, she hears the faint sound of a choir singing.
As she walks in, she see children laughting and playing and running around freely in beautiful garments.
She comes face to face with an entire community, a community who preaches about their struggle while lifting each other up.
After this first meeting, a new routine starts for the young mother.
She begins attending the gatherings regularly,finally finding a place that feels like home.
Slowly, the streets of New York feel safer with the help of this new community and as years go by,Niki’s mom start to change.
She finally sees a future for her and her kids,one that is hopeful and full of possibilities.
Niki ,now seven years old, starts to become more and more aware of her mother’s faith and for the first time ince her mom’s discovery…
…She tags along to a sermon with her.
Niki’s mom watches her daughter as she enters, seing her child carefree and surrounded by such a peace of joy brings tears to her eyes.
Behind this safe community is one man who made it all happen.
Dr. Dwight ” Malachi” York.
He could walk in the room and get along with everybody, he knew how to bring people togther, and that was his personality.
The community , known as the Nuwaubian Nation , had its roots in New York City back in the 1960s, at the time, the city was an even more dangerous place to live, especially for African – Americans, who faced daily discrimination and violence in the years following segregation.
Racial tensions were high, and the streets of New York were no less forgiving, muggings, drug deals, and violent crime were a part of everyday life.
So ,for many , the new community offered more than just a spiritual and cultural liberation.
It was a safe haven for black residents in New York and across other cities along the East Coast.
For people of African descent, our history, our culture, were literally severed by slavery .
So, here comes Malachi York , he says” oh i have an answer to that.”
And York says, ” well , why can’t we have our own communities that are consciously planned for people of African descent?”
York was an accompshed speaker who spent decades building this community, he often spoke about fighting for black Americans and had ties to the black Panter movement.
On the side, he was also musician,producing his own smooth jazz,funk and disco records.
He was an artst , an activist , and most importantly, the leader of the Nuvaubian Nation.
His message of self – empowerment and strength only grew stronger into the 80s.
And that’s when in 1986, Niki’s family takes a big leap of faith.
And just 11 years old, Niki officially moves into the compound in Bushwick , New York.
Along with her two younger siblings,she’s promised a roof over her head,protection and the assurance of a better , brighter future.
It was an exchange from the hard- knock lif of being on the streets to moving in to a community that was completely secured and protected by their own people.
But with their new lifes, comes new rules, new customs, and ultimately, a completely new way of life,the wardrob changed, how they ate, they would study the Quran,they learned Arabic from Arabic teachers.
The spiritual leader is particularly fond of Niki and her siblings, and make sure they’re well- fed,properly dressed, and kept entertained.
He pays them close attention,greeting them warmly,checking in on teir wellbeing, and ensuring they’re included in community activities.
For Niki , the attention feels comforting, special,in a way , she’s found a new father figure to look up to,someone both protective and powerful.
And little after Niki joined the community , her mom became one of his wives, that meant that Niki was one of his children, and Niki looked up to him;” that’s my dad”
Dr.Malachi Dwight York is the center of the Nuwaubian Nation he is revered as their leader and their savior.
He’s the provider of safety and hope.
By this point, there’s over a thousand members and the their community center in Bushwick is becoming increasingly crowded.
It comes to a point where it’s clear to York that they’ve outgrown the city streets, ad a new chapter needs to begin.
Dwight York decides to build a new home for his congregation, and it will b over 900 miles away from New York, in the rural farmlands of Putnam Country , Georgia.
The property was out in Putnam County in a very rural area, a little over 400 acres, isolation was very much a factor.
They were coming to Gorgia, they were gonna form their own nation, not subject to the laws of the United States.
Before York starts buildng in Georgia, he decides to fuly overhaul the Nuwaubian Nation doctrine, drawing from different cultures,religions and mythologies from around the world to create a new identity for his community.
He makes drastic changes to his appearane in his quest.
Taking on a western persona, donning cowboy hats and boots.
Next, he claims to be an extraterrestrial being called ” Yaanuwn”.
And even going as far as calling himself Chief Black Thunderbird Eagle while wearing a feather headdress.
He moves from one identity to the next …
until he lands on the perfect one that will define the Nuwaubian Nation.
York gathers his followers for a sermon.
There , he preclaims the true origin of the Nuwaubians that they are in fact descendants of ancient Egyptians from a different planet,his loyal followers welcome their newfound identity, and quickly get to work…
…they begin building.
A massive sphinx head is erected, towering over the previously abandoned farmland.
artists are hired, murals are painted.
And before long ,dozens of elaborate structures ans several large pyramids begins take shape.
With each new structure, the place transforms into something so bizarre and theatrical,drawing more and more attention from the neighbors and passersby.
Dwighyt andhis followers name it Tama -Re: Egypt of the West.
If you were coming into Putnam County on Georgia Highway 142, all of a sudden thre are pyramids out there in the middle of a cow pasture it was very unusual.
Though the neigbhors are confused by the strange new community, the compound isn’t disruptive.
The ground stay tidy, there’s no noise and no trouble.
It’s strange to look at , yes, but it appears harmless.
But the truth is now what it seems , and what’s really going on behind these walls is far more distrubing.
Two years after joining the Nuwaubian comunity ,Niki finally feels settled in her new home.
But then one day , one of York’s wives finds Niki alone on the grounds.
She calls her over urgently,leading her to a private room, and that’s when th woman tells the young teenager something she never expected.
One of the wive’s she hade a convesation with Niki and said; York would be the person that would teach you about sex.
In a state of shock shock ,Niki doesn’t know what to do or how to feel, she just listens, maybe this is normal and every other young girl in the community gt the same talk from Dwight York as part of his teachings.
After all, he is the respected leader ,the prophet.
One of the things that he told the girls is the person who takes your virginity, that’s the person you’re always gonna be connected to and loyal to…
That’s when the 45 year old York and locks the door behind him leaving him and Niki alone in the room.
The young teenager looks at the man she calls her father,something feels wrong,suddenly a strong sense offear washes over her.
In that moment the trust she once had in him shatters…
The world she thought she understood, the people she thought she could rely on , all feels different now.
Everything has changed, and there’s no going back.
Niki stays quiet, trapped by the rules and by the eyes constantly surveying her making sure she stays loyal and doesn’t disrespect the leader by going against his teachings.
With no one to turn to, not even her own mother , it feels like there’s nowhere else to go.
It completely starts out with gaining their trust.
Your parent is teling you that this is god and this is our savior.
So, they believed they were supposed to do whatever they needed to do to please him.
Niki leaves in fear, harboring a secret that she tels no one.
Everyone in the community acts normally,praising Dwight York, worshiping their leader.
Not knowing the darkness this man possesses.
But as the teenager grows up, something inside her tells her that she’s not alone…
York’s power has only grown, unchallenged and out of sight,
A part of Niki knows she needs to escape to save herself and the other children, but the fear of leaving behind everything she knows,everything she has ever had ,i strong.
Having been herself a victim of Dwight York is one thing, but seeing the same thing vhappening to younger children is another.
In spite of years of manipulation and grooming,Niki can still see how wrong everything is, over time, she realizes that she needs to escape.
Not just for her sake, but for all the other girls who need to be protected.
However , her mother doesn’t see it that way.
For her , the community is whatt saved her and her kids from the dangers of the world.
So, Niki gathers up the courgae to confess her plan,her mom’s reaction takes her by surprise.
The side she has chosen is not her daughter’s and that’s when a campaign of intimidation andpressure begins, led mainly by York but also by her own mother.
Despite the heartache, Niki tries to stay strong, with no family on the outside to help her , she tracksdown a former cult member,now living in Atlanta, who offers her a place to stay while she reaches safety.
Meanwhile , York is furious to see one of his daugters trying to leave him, the betrayal is huge and his pride is on the line.
Niki,by openly rejected him, has corned him ,that’s when York takes an uprecedented decision in an attempt to save face,Niki is not leaving him he is the one kicking her out.
Her mission is clear, expose the distrubing truth about York’s cult, andsave the children still trapped at the compound before it’s too late.
But unbeknownst to her, the FBI is already on it.
For year the FBI has been quietly building a case against the cult leader, ever since they started receiving the most unusual phone calls from across the country.
Calls from parents who all had missing children.
Then , doctors from the surrounding area started sounding the alarm.
They were uncovering a horrific pattern,girls, as young as 11 years old were showing up at hospitals pregnant.
As they traced their locations, they all came from one place the Nuwaubian compound.
While agens continued their investigation into York,there’s growing concern about the potential violence and innocent lives that could be lost if the FBI confronts the community leader directly at the compound.
FBI received information over the years that York had a stockpile of weapons , FBI were concerned about a shotout.
York becomes increasingly aggressive and reckless, appointing armed guards to guard the gate, while the locals of Putnam County become even more wary of their strange neigbors as things escalate.
How do you infiltrate a cult? it’s clear that something sinister is happening at the compound. but with no witnesses willing to talk about it, authorities are left in a tough spot.
Both the FBI and law enforcement in Georgia don’t want to have a repeat of Waco.
In 1993 , in Waco , Texas, just one year before the investigation on the Nuwaubian Nation leader ,Dwight York began, a 52 -days standoff between FBI and the religious group called the Branch Davidians ended in a deadly fire,resulting in 76 deaths.
Including 25 children.
What began as an attempt to serve a search and arrest warrant, escalated into one of the most tragic events in US history.
The aftermath sparked outrage in the media with witnesses and survivors criticizing the government’s handling of the situation.
Now faced with the same fear, authorities are deeply concerned about how to hande their investigation on York.
For nearly a decade, they did everything to build a strong case against the leader,but what they really needed was a real victim satement.
Someone on the inside who knew what was going on to expose the truth and that’s when Niki,- the girl who had just escaped, decide to come forward.
Finally with the survivor on the record.
authorities have enough evidence to make their move.
May 8th 2002
An army of over 200 deputies, US Marshals , and FBI tactical agents get ready to bring Dwight York.
The difficult art s that they need to prevent York from rallying his followers to violently resist the police upon entry.
If this goes wrong, it could quickly turn deadly , and they know a lot of children are on the premises.
That’s when the Sheriff comes up with a plan.
The first step will be closley tracking Dwight York, patiently waiting for him to leave the compound before the raid.
Finally , the gates of Tama-Re open.
They spot a sleek black car leaving, The FBI agents start following it, doing their best not to gt spotted.
from radio communication FBI agents learned that his vehicle had pulled into a parking lot of a grocery store.
The SWAT team was there and the arrest teams,the job was to make sure FBI could identify him.
FBI agents hold their breath waiting for the car door to open, as they wait hidden in the parking lot,hoping Dwight York has been te man in the vehicle this whole time.
One miscalculation could risk the entire operation.
If it’s not York they can’t risk the leader discovering that they’re coming for him while still protecting at the compound.
Then , the car door wings open, a man exits from the backseat.
The surveillance team confirms it;it’s Dwight York ,walking out of the car ,now it’s the time to strike ,the agents make their move just as planned.
With meticulous coordination, they quickly move out of unmarked vehicles approaching York, who ,surrounded by a swatm of armed agents, finally has nowhere left to run and the team makes the arrest.
Now it’s the sheriff’s turn to complete his mission.
He swiftly leads a convoy with dozens of local and federal officers into the gate of Tama-Re, but not without caution.
Hundreds of innocent children and their families live on the grounds.
Despite anticipation of resistance and retailation, they enter wihout force y through the main gates,fter years of fear ,secrecy ,and abuse.
Tama- Re finally comes to a quite end.
The operation is successful and without any violence.
Now , with York in custody and the Nuwaubian compound disbanded, Putnam County law enforcement continues building their legal case against York with the FBI.
For nearly two years they gather more witnesses, expert testimonies and countless pieces of evidence.
York absolutely did not wanna go to trial because all his secrets would come out…
At the beginning of January 2004, Dwight York’s trial begins.
He faces charges for several counts of child abuse, rape , racketeering , conspiracy and tax fraud.
While York sits in the courtroom finally facing accountability for his horrific crimes,the survivors sit together hand in hand.
Among the survivors is Niki.
She looks at York , he’s no longer this self -proclaimed god and prophet she once knew, to her , hejust looks like a regular old man.
His hair turning gray and hisbody appearing frail in an orange prison jumpsuit.
After three weeks of testimony, on January 23rd ,2004.
Dwight York is found guilty on 11 of the 13 counts and sentenced to the maximum penalty.
Among the litany of state and federal charges against him , York pleads guilty to 74 counts of child molestation.
Th interstate transportation of minors for criminal sexual activity, conspiracy , and racketeering.
York is currently serving 135 year federal prsion sentence,on lockdown for 23 hours a day.
He has exhauste all of his appeals, and that’s where he will remain.
Justice had been served for these victims.