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OGDEN — Assault charges have been dropped against the former president of the Utah Farm Bureau after prosecutors said they realized he'd been charged in the wrong jurisdiction.
Ron Bennett Gibson, of Ogden, was charged last month with assault, a class B misdemeanor, in Hooper, Weber County. But Roy/Weber County Justice Court Judge Trent Nelson signed a motion to dismiss the charge without prejudice on Aug. 31.
Weber County Attorney Christopher F. Allred explained in a statement there had been confusion over whether the incident happened in Hooper or in unincorporated Weber County. He said Hooper dismissed the charge when officials determined it happened outside of its jurisdiction.
"Our office has requested some follow-up investigation and will be making a charging decision soon," Allred said. He said charges could be filed as early as Friday or sometime next week.
Gibson was arrested Aug. 8 after one of his employees called police to report a confrontation. The alleged victim told police he and several co-workers hadn't received their last four paychecks, according to a police booking affidavit.
The alleged victim said when he and several co-workers went to Gibson's farm and confronted him, an argument ensued, including Gibson telling the victim to "shut up" in Spanish and backhanding him across the face, requiring medical attention, court documents allege. The altercation was caught on video.
Gibson apologized for the incident in an Aug. 11 statement to KSL.
"I deeply regret the incident and apologize for allowing an argument to escalate to an altercation on my farm. I am disappointed in myself. I have deep respect for the men and women willing to work on farms across America, including mine," Gibson said.
That same day, Gibson announced he was taking a leave of absence from his position as president of the Utah Farm Bureau. He later resigned.
Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Colby Ryan said the investigation into the assault also revealed "allegations of fraud and human trafficking, which are currently being thoroughly investigated by the Department of Public Safety's Special Bureau of Investigation."
