SALT LAKE CITY, Utah Nov. 23, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Following Monday’s charging of three men with human trafficking and abuse of their workers, the Utah Attorney General’s Office has announced more arrests are expected.
As many as 150 workers were imported from Mexico by the suspects’ company, the AG’s office said Wednesday, also identifying the company involved as Rubicon Contractors LLC based in West Bountiful. The company was previously named as Scandia, providing snow removal, but it also provides landscaping services.
So far, three company executives have been arrested, Clayton Phillips, Tyler Brinkman and Adam Perea, who were named Monday.
“All are charged with seven counts of aggravated labor trafficking.” prosecutors said Wednesday. “Additional Rubicon employees are expected to be charged as well.”
Monday the workers were described as brought to the U.S. illegally, but Wednesday the AG’s office said Visas were involved, H2B visas, meant only for temporary workers, meant in the event of labor shortages from the lack of local workers.
The Utah Attorney General’s Secure Strikeforce discovered about 150 people from Mexico were recruited to work at Rubicon, using H2B Visas, according to Wednesday’s press release. Once in Utah, 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 treatment of these workers is appalling. I know our AG Victim Advocates have been on the scene supporting them,” said Attorney General Sean D. Reyes in Wednesday’s release.
“We intend to prove the victims are innocent people who came to America using a legal immigration process to work hard, earn a living and contribute to society.
“But, instead, we believe they were exploited in subhuman living and working conditions as indentured servants in a labor trafficking scheme.”
According to similar court affidavits for the three men charged so far, workers were recruited from Mexico, and promised a pay rate of $20 per hour for snow removal work in Utah, with 40 hours of work per week guaranteed.
The workers were required to buy cell phones with the company’s app in order to file time sheets. The phone cost was deducted from pay. At least one man reported being told he would live rent free, but claimed money was deducted from workers’ pay. One man showed investigators pay stubs showing that $349 was deducted for rent every two weeks, court documents said.
Victims said the provided communal living spaces, in Eagle Mountain and Taylorsville, had no furniture, kitchenware or food. Workers reported relying on charity donations for food, clothing and minimal furnishings. Some workers slept on piles of clothing, the affidavits say.
At least one worker said he became very ill, and was not allowed time off to seek medical attention. Others shared accounts of workers being fired and sent back to Mexico without pay.
Phillips, Brinkman and Perea are being held without bail in the Davis County Jail.
