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CENTERVILLE — Seven members of a general contracting business based in Davis County, including the company's owner, president and chief financial officer, now face criminal charges accusing them of labor trafficking.
Rudy Lars Larsen, 35, of Bountiful; his wife, Jena Marie Larsen, 36, of Bountiful; Tyler Charles Brinkman, 57, of Herriman; Clayton Ray Phillips, 49, of Kaysville; Adam Perea, 35, of Riverdale; Kirk Simmons, 58, of Bountiful; and Brandon Joseph Floyd, 40, of Lehi, were each charged Friday in 2nd District Court with seven counts of aggravated human trafficking, a first-degree felony.
Rudy Larsen, Simmons, Perea and Brinkman were also charged with engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, a second-degree felony. Larsen, the founder of Rubicon Contracting LLC, based in Centerville, was also charged with money laundering.
Brinkman, Phillips and Perea were arrested last week. Arrest warrants were issued Friday for the others.
Attorneys representing Rubicon last week released a prepared statement denying the allegations:
"We learned today that Rubicon is being investigated by the attorney general's office about its labor practices. Rubicon denies any wrongdoing and has complied in good faith with all applicable laws. Rubicon is cooperating with the investigation and believes it will ultimately be vindicated."
Rubicon recruited about 150 people from Mexico to work for the company using H2B visas, according to the Utah Attorney General's Office.
"Once in Utah, the workers endured extremely poor working and living conditions, and unreasonable charges for housing and equipment. Pay for the workers was negligible, forcing them to rely on food banks and charity to survive," the attorney general's office said in a statement.
The charges are based on seven victims who were all recruited to work for Rubicon, which offers general contracting services such as snow removal and landscaping. Each was promised full-time work but instead got paid very little, was forced to live in deplorable housing provided by Rubicon while also paying rent, and was threatened with deportation, the charging documents allege.
Rubicon is a part of several businesses owned by Larsen, who according to court documents also owns Scandia, Smart Rain, Park Place Auto and Black Tie Property Management.
One former employee told investigators that "he saw workers shoveling snow in tennis shoes, workers didn't have knowledge of U.S. traffic laws, workers were unfamiliar with large vehicle operation, workers were unfamiliar with large thoroughfares like I-15, and workers had limited knowledge of technology requirements of the job. (The employee) relayed multiple instances of workers being unfamiliar with how to drive the vehicles provided by Rubicon and confusion about how to drive on highways and freeways," charging documents state.
"(The employee) stated the expectation of work hours for certain times was 'frightening' as workers would operate on one to three hours of sleep. (He) received complaints about workers driving terribly while on the job because they did not know how to operate the machinery. (The employee) stated that the housing provided for the workers was lacking in all basic amenities," the charges say.
The witness also claims that Scandia created other companies for the sole purpose of shuffling visa workers around for Rubicon, allowing them to extend worker visas, the charges state.
Larsen "has repeatedly referenced how he has engaged in illegal conduct and made direct and overt threats of force and intimidation against victims and witnesses," according to the charges. "Further, the state is working to identify all victims currently being housed and exploited by Rubicon at locations in multiple counties as well as seizure of all assets gained through the pattern of conduct engaged in by (Larsen's) and Rubicon's corporate entities. Rubicon and its corporate executives have made explicit and implicit threats toward victims and witnesses over the months preceding these charges being filed."
