Lawsuit details false statements in search‑warrant affidavits, media‑orchestrated raid, and damages following dismissed charges

Rubicon, Rudy Larsen and Jena Larsen today announced the filing of a federal Complaint against officials of the Utah Office of the Attorney General, including the then acting Attorney General Sean D. Reyes, the then acting chief of the criminal investigations division of the Utah Attorney General's Office Leo Lucey, criminal investigator Michael Adam Jeter, and lead prosecutor Kaytlin Virginia Beckett. The lawsuit alleges that defendants used false statements and material omissions to obtain search warrants without probable cause, staged and publicized raids on Rubicon‑related offices, and then filed criminal charges that were later dismissed, causing significant reputational and economic harm.

“Government power must be exercised with precision and honesty. When officials depart from the facts, businesses and families pay the price,” said Cameron Drommond, vice president at Scandia, parent company of Rubicon. “Our Complaint details false statements and reckless omissions used to obtain warrants and prosecute an unfounded case—one that was dismissed. We are asking the Court to hold the defendants accountable and to prevent this from happening again.”

According to the Complaint, the defendants:

• Submitted search‑warrant affidavits that contained false statements and omitted material facts, Judge Rita Cornish made findings in the criminal case that there was no probable cause for human trafficking. (citing Franks v. Delaware standards).
• Orchestrated broad searches of Rubicon’s headquarters in Bountiful, Utah—and related entities and accounts—during the week of Thanksgiving 2023 while improperly inviting the media to accompany law enforcement on the raid.
• Announced and pursued felony charges against individuals associated with Rubicon on November 24, 2023; which charges were ultimately dismissed in February 2025 after court review of the affidavits and evidence.
• Mischaracterized routine employment, payroll, housing, and immigration documentation involving temporary visa workers, despite contrary records in the AG’s possession.
• Leveraged inflated “victim” counts and public claims about human‑trafficking investigations to help secure funding and promote the Attorney General’s work on human trafficking to deflect from negative press coverage related to various scandals involving Reyes.

Background highlighted in the Complaint

The filing describes a years‑long public campaign by state officials tying their office to anti‑trafficking efforts—including collaboration with private organizations—and alleges that, by 2023, agency leaders sought additional funding based on rapidly increasing “victim” numbers reported in grant applications. The Complaint claims those figures were boosted through investigative practices and communications that departed from the underlying records.

Requested relief

Rubicon seeks compensatory and punitive damages for reputational and economic losses; and attorneys’ fees and costs; to correct the public record and bar further misuse of official platforms while the case proceeds.

“We support legitimate law enforcement work,” added Drommond. “But state officials crossed clear constitutional lines, turned an investigation into a media spectacle, and harmed our employees, partners, and customers. This suit is about the truth and the rule of law.”

Timeline at a glance (per the Complaint)

• Week of Nov. 20, 2023 (Thanksgiving week) — Attorney General’s Office (AGO) obtains and executes search warrants at Rubicon headquarters (Bountiful) and related locations; media improperly invited to accompany the AGO on the raids.
• Nov. 24, 2023 — AGO announces first-degree felony charges tied to human‑trafficking allegations against individuals associated with Rubicon and secures no bail arrest warrants.
• August 1, 2024 — The court ruled that the Utah AGO and Michael Adam Jeter lied and omitted material facts and that was misleading to the point that it “completely changes the context and the understanding of allegations, such that the statements no longer support probable cause of labor trafficking.”
• Feb. 25, 2025 — Criminal charges are dismissed; the court cites insufficient basis for key allegations and evidence contrary to the affidavits, "the State prematurely filed charges before having adequate evidence to support them.”
• Oct. 28, 2025 — Rubicon files this federal civil Complaint seeking damages and injunctive/declaratory relief.

Procedural posture & next steps

The defendants will be served, and Rubicon expects to seek early discovery and scheduling to address the alleged misuse of affidavits and communications.

About Rubicon

Rubicon is a trusted facility maintenance partner delivering landscape care, snow and ice management, tenant improvements, and electrical services. They help property and facility leaders reduce costs, improve safety, and enhance sustainability—keeping built environments running smoothly, season after season, so facility managers can focus on what matters most. Learn more at www.gorubicon.com.

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Rubicon has filed a federal lawsuit alleging the Utah Attorney General’s Office used false statements to obtain search warrants and pursued charges later dismissed for lack of evidence, causing reputational and financial harm