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Rubicon Employees File Complaint Alleging Wrongful Accusations by Former Utah Attorney General’s Office

via Business Wire

Complaint asserts employees suffered lasting personal and professional harm from accusations later found to lack evidentiary support

Multiple employees of Rubicon today filed a Complaint alleging that officials within the Utah Office of the Attorney General, including former Attorney General Sean D. Reyes, former Chief Investigator of the Attorney General’s office Leo Lucey, investigator Michael Jeter and lead prosecutor Kaytlin Beckett, engaged in wrongful accusations during the 2023 investigation into Rubicon’s operations. The Complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, states that employees were publicly linked to manufactured criminal allegations that were later dismissed, resulting in significant harm to their personal and professional lives.

The filing follows a separate federal action brought by Rubicon and its parent company, Scandia, and its founders, Jena and Rudy Larsen, in October, which alleges misuse of sworn testimony, improper reliance on incomplete documents, and prosecutorial overreach by senior state officials. Together, the lawsuits claim that the state pursued a narrative that could not be substantiated in court.

“Every person has the right to be judged on facts—not headlines,” said Dario Benitez, an employee of Rubicon. “Our careers, reputations, and families were affected in ways that can’t simply be undone by a dismissal. This filing is about setting the record straight and ensuring that the human impact of these decisions is acknowledged and addressed. No one should be tried in the press before they are heard in court.”

According to the filing, state officials:

  • Publicly associated employees with criminal conduct before evidence had been reviewed by the court.
  • Characterized routine administrative and employment documentation as evidence of wrongdoing.
  • Amplified allegations through media statements and coordinated public messaging.
  • Caused ongoing emotional distress, reputational damage, and economic harm even after charges were dismissed.

Judicial Background:

In February 2025, a state court dismissed the criminal charges brought against individuals associated with Rubicon, determining that key allegations lacked evidentiary support. The ruling noted that certain affidavit statements and interpretations of documents did not meet the standard for probable cause, and that critical contextual information had been omitted in the filings.

Complaint Timeline:

  • 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’s Michael Jeter lied and omitted material facts in misleading sworn testimony 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, recognizing that “the State prematurely filed charges before having adequate evidence to support them.”
  • Oct. 28, 2025 — Rubicon files its federal civil Complaint seeking damages.
  • Nov. 18, 2025 — Multiple Rubicon employees have filed a Complaint alleging that Utah Attorney General officials engaged in statements and unsupported accusations during the 2023 investigation.

The employees seek:

  • Compensation for reputational, emotional, and financial damages
  • A declaratory judgment to correct the public record
  • Safeguards to prevent similar misuse of state authority

“The goal of this filing is to correct the record and us as individuals to move forward with our lives,” added Scott Bennion, an employee at Scandia, Rubicon’s parent company. “When accusations are made without the evidence to support them, the impact does not simply disappear. Restoring accuracy is part of restoring trust.”

Next Steps:

Defendants will be served, and plaintiffs expect the case to proceed into discovery. The related corporate lawsuit is ongoing.

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.

Rubicon Employees Accuse Former Utah AG’s Office of Wrongful Targeting and Retaliation. New federal filing claims officials amplified false allegations that collapsed in court.

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