Utah Farm Bureau president arrested for assault, investigated for human trafficking

WEBER COUNTY, Utah —  A Utah man arrested for assault is now being investigated for human trafficking.

The man, identified as Ron Gibson, is the President of Utah Farm Bureau Federation.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Gibson was involved in a confrontation with an employee at a local farm owned by Mr. Gibson. The victim called 911 and stated he was assaulted by his boss identified as Gibson.

The victim also explained that he and several of his coworkers were not being paid, claiming the crew had not received their past four paychecks from Gibson. When the victim went to Gibson’s farm to work, he confronted Gibson about not receiving payment.

An argument took place and resulted in Gibson telling him to “shut up” in Spanish and then backhanding him across the face.

“This caused the victims mouth to bleed and required medical attention. The victim was transported via EMS to Ogden Regional to receive further medical attention,” the document states.

“Regrettably, this confrontation escalated into a physical altercation, resulting in injuries to the employee that necessitated medical attention,” Lt. Colby Ryan said.

Ryan said the investigation into the assault 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 was immediately available, but Weber County Sheriff’s Office said it will provide timely updates to the public as the case develops and urged Weber County residents to have patience and “allow the judicial system to operate independently.”

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Charges are only allegations, and every arrested person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.