Devra West

• Devra West's history includes numerous allegations and legal troubles involving abuse, manipulation, and fraudulent activities (source)​​

• In 2007, Devra was convicted of misdemeanor assault for physically assaulting Dr. Patricia Cole, a former business partner, resulting in a deferred 6-month jail sentence and a $500 fine (see "Testimonies" section below) (source, source)

• Dr Cole was issued a restraining order to protect her from Devra after reporting physical and verbal abuse (source, source)

• Marion Cantwell was reportedly kidnapped, held captive, and beaten by Devra until she gave Devra tens of thousands of dollars (see "murder" section below) (source, source, source)

• Former members claim Devra uses hypnosis, sorcery, occult magic, and mind control to render victims powerless. Some still believe Devra can induce illness, injury, or death with her Shamanic powers. (source)

Testimonies

• Dr. Patricia Cole (former director of the cult's Sacred Archives Institute)

  • "She took off her shoe and hit me on the top of my head, causing my scalp to bleed onto my face, neck and clothes... She threatened to kill me with a gun to my head, 'blowing my brains out,' and advised me to commit suicide by slitting my wrists, after I'd taken out an insurance policy on myself." (source)

  • "She has told me that she has the 'spiritual' power and authority to 'take me out,' to be composted" (source)

  • Claims Devra threw a lamp at her and hit her with a briefcase, cell phone and her hand (source)

  • Testimonies from other witnesses:

    • John Mark Young (worked for Devra) - "Pat Cole endured hours of verbal and near-physical abuse continuously. Pat Cole would emerge in tears, obviously shaken and still in shock from these psychological domination sessions, only to face yet another, in a constant pattern of abuse, every session leading to the next and building in intensity." (source, source)

    • Carlida Finch - Said she heard Devra tell Dr. Cole that she would "take a hammer and break every bone in her hands." Finch said she also heard Devra say she wouldn't care if she killed Dr. Cole. (source)

• Nicholas Roberts (worked as Devra's personal assistant)

  • Describing his wife's initiation ritual: "It sounded like [my wife]  was being crucified... [she] screamed for five minutes [and her] spine contorted... Her eyes rolled back in her head, fluttering. She was convulsing uncontrollably. Her fists were clenched tightly." (source)

  • Devra told Nicholas's wife to slap him several times across the face, resulting in a temporary loss of vision (source)

  • Afterwards, Devra "ran over to me and began to beat me, clobbering me with all her might, both fists to each side of my head at least 8-10 times, until she had no more energy left to deliver another blow" (source)

  • In a separate incident, Devra "grabbed the glass pepper shaker in a manic fit of rage and struck me with it behind my left ear on the back of my head... It hurt badly and left a huge goose egg lump" (source)

  • Told him "I am going to have to push [your wife] to the edge, and I am going to have to break her... You need to let me do it, and don’t interfere."

• Emilia Rose (local resident)

  • Witnessed Devra "totally degrading, demeaning, and yelling" at a follower. When Rose tried to help, the follower told her "You have the wrong idea. She's helping me. She's the Rishi." (source)

• Nancy

  • "Devra would scream a lot at me, at her ex-husband Jack, at her kids, at anybody who was close to her" (source)

  • "[Devra] used to roll her papers up in a baton and swat people." (source)

  • "[Devra] took off one of her wedges and started beating me in the head... I bent down to protect myself and I ended up with bruises on my back. She dislocated my jaw and pulled out a big chunk of my hair." (source, source)

• AJ White

  • "All of the personal assistants that I encountered in my time with Divine Unity were verbally, emotionally, spiritually and sometimes physically abused" (source, source)

  • Witnessed Devra attacking her assistant, including ripping out chunks of her hair (source, source)

  • "I observed many occasions of verbal cruelty in which she ranted at people, threw water in their faces, and caused severe emotional anguish, all in the name of assisting them in their spiritual quest" (source, source)

• Rebecca

  • Devra "slugged" her three times in the back (source)

  • Witnessed a woman get hit with a three-ring binder (source)

  • Testimonies from other witnesses:

    • John Mark Young - "[Rebecca] is constantly exposed to denigrating attacks and threats on a daily basis and works without appropriate breaks or time-off... I over-heard a phone call (on speaker phone) from Devra West where she viciously berated, badgered and insulted [Rebecca] relentlessly for almost forty minutes" (source)

• John Mark Young (worked for Devra)

  • Reported Devra's abuse to police (source)

  • Said he "experienced her volatile personality and demanding perfectionism, dictatorial style, constant micro-management and mind-control tactics of interrogation and coercion, as well as using influence, and hypnosis" (source, source)

  • "Devra seems to be using fraud and extortion to extract money from potential supporters by whatever means necessary, using coercion and domination to terrorize them into submission, and then driving them out with unbearable psychological or physical attacks, thereby exploiting their shock, shame and embarrassment to effectively silence them. This allows her to remain free to expand her efforts and move on to the next potential victim." (source)

  • "Devra Patton West is operating a dangerous criminal cult. She has demonstrated a much larger pattern of abuses including: committing acts of fraud, coercion, manipulation, and extortion, and she has been inflicting psychological damage and physical violence against innocent people for several years. Without any boundaries of common decency, Devra West will commit these acts against anyone, especially those who dare to question her methods, defy her authority, oppose her activities, or anyone attempting to intervene in the interest of others. And I believe she will continue to do so against anyone who is unfortunate enough be drawn into her web." (source)

  • Testified to the abuse of Rebecca and Dr. Cole (source)

• Tanya Hurley

  • Said she was "very damaged" by her involvement with Devra, in which Devra would "rage, rant, scream, yell, sometimes growl, and point out all our shortcomings" (source, source)

• Deborah Coffey

  • "I witnessed three occasions in which Ms. West violently pulled the hair, of three female staff members. In each case the hair was pulled and the head was shaken forcefully from side to side." (source, source)

  • "On some occasions [Devra] would hit people in the face. I witnessed one occasion in which she hit a man in the forehead, leaving an abrasion where her ring cut the skin." (source, source)

  • Devra shook a woman's head so violently that it tore her ear and she had to undergo reconstructive surgery. (source, source)

  • Devra would justify her violence by through denial, insisting that a diety committed the abuses, instead of her. (source, source)

  • Said that she was involved in "public humiliation or degradation rituals" (source)

• Patrick (local resident)

  • Said his girlfriend "suffered 40 or 50 hours of shaming, battering, guilting, shouting, [and] screaming" from Devra (source)

  • Devra would try to separate Patrick's girlfriend from him so that she could attack her. The attacks often lasted for 8-10 hours (source)

  • Said that his girlfriend believed Devra's abuse was good for her (source)

  • Filed a restraining order against Devra (source)

• Kaitlin Smith

  • "She was yelling and cursing at [a follower], just totally demeaning him... It was the loudest yelling ever... He looked beaten down... I knew something was off." (source)

  • Devra mocked an assistant who was vegetarian by asking her to make some chicken (source)

• Anonymous

  • Witnessed a member loose consciousness during an intense session with Devra (source)

  • Witnessed blood spots on Devra's shoes and a bloody laundry tub full of Devra's clothes (source)

• John Watson (Devra's former business consultant)

  • Accused Devra of lying to her followers to manipulate them into giving her money (source)

• Devra moved to Whitefish, Montana in 2005 to live with several of her followers (source)

• Devra's followers reportedly had to donate at least 66% of their income to be able to move to Montana with her (source, source)

• Followers allege they have been conned out of hundreds of thousands of dollars (source)

• Allegedly extorted $1.3 million from a Dr. Cole by threatening her with murder (see  "Abusive" and"Murder" sections) (source, source)

• Michael and Lori Hendrickson sued Devra for breach of contract, claiming she moved donated money into her personal trust (source, source)

• In 2007, Devra West was the subject of an arrest warrant for felony check fraud, related to a bad check for the purchase of a $6 million home (source, source, source, source)

• John Watson, Devra's former business consultant, was awarded over $700,000 after he sued Devra for fraud, constructive termination and breach of contract, claiming that he was not paid for his services (source, source, source)

• A lien was placed against Devra for failing to pay unemployment taxes for her employees (source)

• David Kushner reportedly claimed Devra defrauded him out of $30,000 (source)

• Devra reportedly misused a $150,000 PPP loan during the pandemic, spending much of it on expensive clothes and a $9,000-a-month mansion (source)

• Ryan, a former follower, said he loaned Devra $30,000 to be paid back in six weeks. However, Devra refused to return the money, and tried to manipulate him into reframing the transaction as a donation. (source)

• Devra tried to talk Corrine Coffin, the daughter of a wealthy business man, into giving Devra her father's "gold" as he was dying. Coffin is estimated to have given millions of dollars to Devra. (source, source, source)

• John Mark Young worked for Devra, but claimed he was only paid half of what he was supposed to receive (source)

• Devra reportedly convinced one follower to give $120,000 to reach the 4th stage of enlightenment, and made the follower consider giving Devra their ranch and home, resulting in a court battle and a restraining order (source)

• Devra West faced a foreclosure action for $1,500,000.00 (source)

• In 2009, an arrest warrant was issued for Devra West for felony theft after not returning an Avis rental vehicle (source, source)

• Devra West was involved in an eviction case in 2021 in Yavapai County, Arizona, and was required to vacate premises by December 15, 2021 (source)

• In 2003, Devra's Victor MT charity ‘The Circle of Divine Unity’ reportedly had it's certificate revoked for fraud (source, source)

• Devra is accused of stealing $1,250,000 from a charity (source)

• $4,000,000 worth of missing artwork and valuables reportedly showed up at an auction and was posted for sale on Devra's website (source)

• Devra claims to be a clairvoyant and spiritual healer (source)

• Devra claims to have "interact[ed] and communicat[ed] with archangel Michael," beginning when she was six-years-old (source)

• Claims to be able to heal people from various illnesses, including lukemia (source)

• Claims to recieve telepathic messages from Jesus, Buddha, St. Francis of Assisi, Confucius, Zoroaster, Mohammed, Babaji, and other "Ascended Masters" (source, source)

• Devra claimed she would "bilocate" and be in both Tibet and Sedona while she opened a portal to enlightenment (source)

• Devra went to Sedonia in 1990 to open a "divine corridor of amplified light" (source)

• Devra says she has "taken a limited number of earthly lives" for the benefit of humanity (source)

• Devra claims to be a pure lineage holder of ascended masters uniquely able to transmit ancient wisdom (source)

• Claims to be able to predict future events (source, source)

• Claims to be the incarnation of historical figures, including Cleopatra, General George Patton, Queen Elizabeth, Napoleon, Genghis Khan, Padmasambhava the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, and Sarah, the wife of Biblical Abraham (source)

• Dr. Cole testified that Devra claimed to have the "spiritual power" and authority to "take her out" and to be "composted" (source)

• Lisa Swindler reportedly had a suspicious death after witnessing crimes committed by Devra and leaving the cult. Critics have called her death a murder. (source, source)

• Allegedly extorted $1.3 million from a Dr. Cole by threatening her with murder (see  "Abusive" and "Financial Lawsuit" sections) (source, source)

• Allegedly attempted to murder and bankrupt a whistle blower (source)

• David Kushner reportedly chose not to pursue legal action against Devra due to fears of getting murdered (source)

• Marion Cantwell was reportedly told that she woud be killed if she went to the police to report her kidmapping and abuse (see "abusive" section above) (source)

• Mike Hendrickson reportedly chose not to persue legal action against Devra due to fears of violent intimidation or murder (source)

• Devra's husband, Jack West, reportedly warned a former business partner, "Those who oppose my wife have the habit of dying suddenly" (source)

• Reportedly advised a follower to commit suicide after the follower took out a life insurance policy on herself (source)