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California cult leader gets 225 years for raping followers

By
FOX 11
Crime and Public Safety
Published June 12, 2026 1:29 PM PDT
Published June 12, 2026 1:29 PM PDT
article

Sansue Bee Vang / Butte County District Attorney's Office

The Brief

    • Sansue Bee Vang, 58, the leader of an Oroville-based cult, was sentenced to 225 years to life in prison for raping two women and molesting four young girls.
    • Five victims shared impact statements detailing lasting mental health and family trauma before Judge Philip Heithecker handed down the maximum sentence.
    • Despite the life term, District Attorney Mike Ramsey noted that California's "elder parole" laws mean Vang will be eligible for a parole hearing in 20 years.

BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Sansue Bee Vang, the founder and self-proclaimed prophet of a Hmong religious organization, has been sentenced to the maximum term of 225 years to life in state prison. 

The sentencing follows a seven-day trial where a Butte County jury found Vang guilty of eight counts of child molestation and three counts of rape targeting members of his congregation.

What we know:

Vang, 58, established the religious organization "Kev Ntseeg Leej Niam Kee Tiam Vaj Lis Thum" (loosely translated as "Belief in the Mother") in Appleton, Wisconsin, before moving operations to Fresno, California, in 2015. 

In 2020, he relocated selected families from multiple states to Oroville to build a temple community near Table Mountain. 

Regarded as a "prophet" by followers, Vang used his religious authority and threats of violence or spiritual ruin to systematically abuse women and children within the group.

The investigation began in 2024 when an 11-year-old girl and her mother reported being sexually assaulted, prompting four additional victims to come forward. 

Evidence at trial detailed years of abuse, including the repeated molestation of an 8-to-10-year-old child under threats of physical violence, and the rape of a young woman who believed Vang's warnings that tragedy would befall her family if she did not comply.

SUGGESTED:

Vang did not testify during the trial, and his defense attorney argued during closing statements that the victims were lying or mistaken about Vang’s intent.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Philip Heithecker heard emotional statements from five of the six named victims, who detailed how Vang's actions continue to severely damage their mental health and family relationships. 

Vang was ordered to register as a sex offender and faces a lifetime behind bars, though District Attorney Mike Ramsey clarified that California legislative rules regarding "elder parole" will make Vang eligible for a parole hearing in 20 years due to his age.

What's next:

Following the finalization of his maximum sentence, Vang will be transferred from the custody of the Butte County Jail, where he has been held without bail, to a California state prison to begin serving his term of 225 years to life. 

The state parole board will eventually schedule an elder parole suitability hearing for Vang in two decades.

What they're saying:

"[Vang] founded an organization that created opportunities for him to exploit the power he imagined for himself and... used the organization’s structure to silence the women for years before they found the courage to come forward and speak their truth in court," said Supervising Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Bennett.

The Source: This report is based on official courtroom disclosures, trial evidence, and formal post-trial statements provided by Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey and Supervising Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Bennett.

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