WEBER COUNTY, Utah, Aug. 11, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Police are investigating fraud and human trafficking allegations against a prominent Utah dairy farmer who’s also accused of assaulting an employee during a confrontation about past-due wages.
Ron Bennett Gibson, 50, was arrested Tuesday following a physical altercation with an employee at his farm in an unincorporated area of Weber County, according to the sheriff’s office.
Weber County sheriff’s deputies responded to the farm following a report than an employee had been assaulted by his boss, according to a probable cause statement filed in Weber County Justice Court.
The employee told deputies that he and several of his co-workers were not being paid and were owed several paychecks from Gibson, the affidavit says.
“When the victim went to Ron’s farm where they work, he confronted Ron about not being paid. There was a small verbal altercation that took place,” the affidavit says.
The employee showed deputies video of Gibson telling him to “shut up in Spanish and then proceeded to back hand him across the face.”
The injury caused the man’s mouth to bleed and required medical attention at an area hospital, according to arrest documents.
Weber County Sheriff‘s Lt. Colby Ryan said the investigation into the assault “has also brought to light allegations of fraud and human trafficking, which are currently being thoroughly investigated by the Department of Public Safety’s Special Bureau of Investigation.”
No other information about the allegations were provided.
Gibson is a sixth-generation dairy farmer in Weber County and president of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. According to his Utah Farm Bureau Federation biography, his Green Acres farm milks 1,500 head of dairy cows and grows more than 1,500 acres of corn and alfalfa.
“During this unfolding legal process, residents of Weber County are urged to exhibit patience and allow the judicial system to operate independently. The principles of transparency and accountability remain of paramount importance to ensure that justice is not only served but that the rights of both the accused and the victim are fully upheld,” Colby said in a written statement.
Gephardt Daily will update this story as more information becomes available.
