- Rubicon Contracting seeks sanctions against former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Beckett.
- They accuse Beckett of using false information to obtain a search warrant.
- Rubicon's $1 billion lawsuit alleges malicious prosecution by Utah's former attorney general.
SALT LAKE CITY — The owners of a Davis County general contracting company once accused of labor trafficking want sanctions imposed on a former Special Assistant United States Attorney in Utah for allegedly using information she knew was false in order to obtain a search warrant for the federal investigation.
This week, Rubicon Contracting LLC and its owners, Rudy Larsen and Jena Larsen, and their attorneys filed their latest motion in their on-going civil battle against Utah's former attorney general and the investigation into labor trafficking allegations by Rubicon.
In November 2023, the founders and five executive members of Rubicon Contracting were each charged with multiple counts of aggravated human trafficking by the Utah Attorney General's Office. Following a contentious preliminary hearing in December 2024, while awaiting the judge's decision on whether the state had met its burden to proceed to trial, the AG asked that the charges be dismissed due to a pending federal investigation.
In October, Rubicon filed a $1 billion civil lawsuit in federal court against then-Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and several of his staff members, claiming the team "conspired to manufacture bogus criminal charges" against the company.
In April, it was announced that the federal investigation into Rubicon had been closed with no charges being filed. But with the announcement, Rubicon called for a second Franks hearing, alleging that much of the false information already thrown out during the first Franks hearing in state court was used to obtain a search warrant for the federal investigation.
"There never was an independent federal investigation," the motion contends. "The only people involved in the allegedly independent federal investigation were (Department of Homeland Security agent Jared Hatch and special assistant United States attorney Kaytlin Beckett) … both of whom were part of the Utah attorney general's SECURE Strike Force that investigated and prosecuted the failed state criminal case."
In its latest filing, Rubicon is renewing its calls for sanctions against Beckett.
"Despite the extensive briefing on this motion, the issues before the court are not complicated: Did former Special Assistant United States Attorney Beckett submit an affidavit to this court for a search warrant she knew was materially false and misleading? Did the court reasonably rely on Beckett's representations as an officer of the court in an ex parte setting by issuing the search warrant?
"The answer to both questions is yes," Rubicon contends in its motion. "Beckett has established a pattern of mischaracterizing evidence and of ignoring and concealing rulings she disagrees with."
Attorneys for Rubicon contend that in seeking a search warrant for the federal investigation, Beckett failed to mention the state court's prior Frank's ruling regarding evidence.
"Unfortunately, Beckett's pattern of mischaracterizations of evidence, omissions of material information that directly impact probable cause determinations, and lack of candor with tribunals has continued. This court should sanction Beckett," the motion concludes.
