Rubicon sues Utah AG’s office over allegedly lost evidence

New lawsuit over seized evidence

Rubicon Contracting, Rudy Larsen, Jena Larsen and other plaintiffs sued the Utah Attorney General’s Office in Utah’s Second Judicial District Court. The office, rather than Brown or another individual official, is the only named defendant.

The complaint alleges the office lost a sealed box of original business records, four USB drives and forensic-image backups while the materials were in state custody. Rubicon says the evidence could be relevant to its pending billion civil-rights case against former office officials.

The plaintiffs brought the case under a Utah law addressing seized property that is negligently lost while held by the state. They say a notice of claim served July 13, 2026, had received no response after more than 60 days.

The investigation and dismissal

Attorney General’s Office agents seized Rubicon’s business records and electronic media during a Nov. 20, 2023, raid connected to a human-trafficking investigation. Sean Reyes was attorney general at the time.

On Aug. 1, 2024, a Second District judge found Rubicon’s owners had made a substantial showing that warrant affidavits included false statements and misleading omissions. The Attorney General’s Office dismissed its case on Feb. 24, 2025.

The U.S. Department of Justice later said its investigation involving allegations of visa fraud and forced labor had closed. In an April 8, 2026, written response, federal authorities said the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office had declined prosecution.

Dispute over the records

The new complaint traces the alleged loss to the Attorney General’s Office evidence room. It says an office employee gave written assurance on Jan. 8, 2026, that the evidence had been preserved, but a planned handoff in May failed.

The complaint also alleges the office publicly filed Rudy Larsen’s unredacted Social Security number on Jan. 30, 2026. Brown has led the Attorney General’s Office since taking office in January 2025.