Lawsuit Against Kingston Group / Individuals / Businesses

[smac97]

From The Daily Beast: Polygamous Mormon Sect Is Actually a Sex Trafficking Cult: Lawsuit

Quote

A polygamous religious community in Utah is actually a criminal cult that trafficked young girls and forced them into early marriages that were sometimes incestuous, a new lawsuit alleges.

Ten women who left or escaped the alleged sect led by Paul Elden Kingston on Wednesday filed a federal complaint against Kingston, thirteen of his family members, and several other members. The complaint, which is nearly 140 pages long, also names as defendants dozens of businesses and entities ranging from restaurants, grocery stores, the Mormon fundamentalist denomination Latter Day Church of Christ, and an allegedly fake “bank” operated by the cult.

The complaint alleges that the cult actively practices sex trafficking, sexual abuse, child abuse, and forced labor. In some cases, Kingston forced girls to marry men they were related to and suffer repeated domestic abuse, the lawsuit claims.

“Some Plaintiffs were forced to ‘marry’ close relatives, who then beat and raped them,” the complaint alleges. “Almost all were denied an ordinary education, physically abused (or threatened with abuse), taught to fear outsiders, and forced to work for years of their childhoods, often in grueling jobs, with little or no pay.”

The complaint describes a Handmaid’s Tale style of governance where divorce was outlawed and the girls were expected to have as many children as possible. They were allegedly told that it was their “responsibility” to grow the cult by having children, “and that they must submit sexually, even against their will, to their husbands in order to produce children.”

The group—internally called the Order—allegedly made young children work for its businesses before they were legally allowed to, some of them starting as young as 4 years old. One of the defendants named in the suit, Standard Restaurant Supply, was issued a federal citation for violating child labor laws last year, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The Order is also accused of making children accomplices to various crimes, ranging from falsifying federal tax returns to destroying evidence in criminal investigations. It regularly ordered them to aid or commit crimes designed to defraud the government, a process it referred to as “Bleeding the Beast,” the complaint says.

According to the plaintiffs, the Order is designed to enrich Kingston and his immediate family by forcing other families to work without pay or for very little pay.

“It is a massive financial enterprise where all members work to contribute to the needs, wants, and objectives of Paul Elden Kingston and his family, to the detriment of the individual members,” the complaint reads. “The Order withholds paychecks from working Order members and controls members’ wages while avoiding liability for labor law violations.”

Here is a link to the Complaint.  It's pretty long.  Some of the particulars:

1. Where/When: The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Utah on February 28.

2. Plaintiffs: The plaintiffs, ten women, are filing under their own names. 

3. Defendants: The named individual (non-corporate) defendants are:

• Paul Elden Kingston
• John Daniel Kingston, Sr.
• Hyrum Dalton Kingston
• David Ortell Kingston
• Jesse Orvil Kingston
• Jason Ortell Kingston
• Rachel Orlean Kingston Young
• John Paul Johnson
• Jacob Daniel Kingston, Jr.
• Jacob Ortell Kingston, Sr.
• Sally Kingston
• John Daniel Kingston, Jr.
• Daniel Charles Kingston
• Patricia Kingston
• Paul Elden Kingston, Jr.
• Michelle Afton Michaels
• Deborah Williams
• Jolene Andrews
• April McKay
• Valarie Martin
• Kent William Johnson

The named corporate defendants (the "Order Businesses") are:

• Davis County Cooperative Society, Inc. {EDIT TO ADD: this is a non-profit Utah corporation} dba Redwood Grocery & Health Foods and John’s Market Place {EDIT TO ADD: these are both for-profit Utah corporations}
• Latter Day Church of Christ, dba, ZMPC and LDCC {EDIT TO ADD: this is a non-profit Utah corporation}
• A-1 Disposal {EDIT TO ADD: "a waste management and recycling solutions center organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 610 West 3410 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119"}
• Management Business Systems, Inc.
• Advanced Copy {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit copying and duplicating service organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 4850 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, Utah 84123"}
• Ensign Learning Center, Inc. {EDIT TO ADD: "an educational center organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 2755 Decker Lake Lane, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119"}
• Vanguard Academy {EDIT TO ADD: "a charter school organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 2650 South Decker Lake Lane, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119"}
• Advanced Vending {EDIT TO ADD: "a vending management company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 3994 South 300 West, Unit 32, Murray, Utah 84107"}
• A&W Restaurants {EDIT TO ADD: "a franchise organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 6765 UT-36, Stansbury Park, Utah 84074. The franchise is part of a chain of for-profit A&W Restaurants that serve fast food"}
• The Food Group, LLC {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit entity organized under the laws of Utah, with a registered address listed as 670 East 3900 South Ste 300 Salt Lake City, UT 84107 and doing business as A&W Taylorsville, A&W Plymouth, and A&W Stansbury"}
• United Fuel Supply {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit commodity trading company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 7950 West 2400 North, Plymouth, Utah 84330"}
• Washakie Farm {EDIT TO ADD: "is located in or around the town of Washakie, Utah in Box Elder County. It is a for profit farm owned by the Order"}
• Order Bank aka the “Office” aka the “Century Office” {EDIT TO ADD: per the Complaint this is "not a real banking organization, but rather a set of offices with the main office located at 53 West Angelo Ave, Salt Lake City, Utah and a larger office at 10 Century Park Way, Salt Lake City, Utah"}
• Family Stores True Value {EDIT TO ADD: "for-profit hardware store organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 4860 South Redwood Rd, Taylorsville, Utah 84123"}
• Standard Restaurant Supply {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit restaurant supply company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 3500 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115"}
• AAA Communications {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit answering service organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 2971 South Richards Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115"}
• Washakie Renewable Energy, LLC {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit biofuel company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 3950 South 700 East Ste #100, Salt Lake City, Utah 84107"} {EDIT TO ADD: This entity was part of a massive ($512 million) fraud case in 2019 - see here}
• Fidelity Lending {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit finance and credit company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 10 West Century Parkway, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115"}
• Property Compliance, aka Arrow Real Estate {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit real estate company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 635 West 5300 South Ste 202, Murray, Utah 84123"}
• Attco Trucking aka CTC Trucking {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit freight and transportation company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 2750 West 900 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84104"} {EDIT TO ADD: "Coal Trucking Company which may also be known as CTC Trucking, LLC and/or Coal Valley, LLC is a for-profit entity owned and operated by the Order"} 
• American Digital Systems {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit software company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 2971 South Richard Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115"}
• Garco Property Management {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit business with a principal place of business at 3994 South 300 West, Millcreek, Utah 84107"}
• American Wellness & Rehab Clinic {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit family medicine clinic organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 677 West 5300 South, Murray, Utah 84123"}
• A-Action Express {EDIT TO ADD: "for-profit transportation company that provides school and employee bus services for Order children, organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 624 North 300 West, Salt Lake City, Utah 84103"}
• Mitchell & Associates {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit accounting company that provides Order members tax and accounting services for the benefit of the Order, organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 670 East 3900 South, Suite 301, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117"}
• A-Fab Engineering  {EDIT TO ADD: "F-Fab Engineering is a for-profit engineering company, organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 83 Navajo Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84104"}
• Sierra Wholesale {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit flooring company and a dba of the Order operating within Standard Restaurant Supply, with a principal place of business at 3500 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115"}

4. The Allegations: The Complaint is very long.  The factual allegations alone take up 109 pages.  The contents are laid out in some detail, but are summed up in paragraphs 98-101:

Quote

98. The Order, as it exists today, consists of a large group of families that own an extensive network of businesses in Utah. It is a massive financial enterprise where all members work to contribute to the needs, wants, and objectives of Paul Elden Kingston and his family, to the detriment of the individual members.
99. Worse still, the Order has become a criminal enterprise engaged in rampant illegal conduct. The Order secretly engages in, endorses, encourages, and approves of forced labor, sex trafficking, sexual battery, abuse of children and other vulnerable individuals, as described throughout this Complaint.
100. Furthermore, the Order practices willful fraud against the government and encourages—and sometimes requires—its members, including children, to be complicit in its crimes. The Order withholds paychecks from working Order members and controls members’ wages while avoiding liability for labor law violations. It falsifies and files fraudulent tax documents to maximize tax benefits and minimize tax liability. It fraudulently has members’ medical bills paid by Medicaid. And it conceals its widespread child abuse from state officials at the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (“DCFS”).
101. The tactics designed to illegally extract money from the government are part of the Order’s mantra of “Bleeding the Beast.”

Very long.  Very disturbing.

5. Legal Claims: Here are the causes of action in the Complaint:

• FIRST Cause of Action: LABOR TRAFFICKING IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW
• SECOND Cause of Action: SEX TRAFFICKING IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW
• THIRD Cause of Action: VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT
• FOURTH Cause of Action: VIOLATION OF RICO 18 U.S.C. § 1962(C)
• FIFTH Cause of Action: VIOLATION OF RICO 18 U.S.C. § 1962(D)
• SIXTH Cause of Action: LABOR TRAFFICKING IN VIOLATION OF UTAH LAW
• SEVENTH Cause of Action: SEX TRAFFICKING IN VIOLATION OF UTAH LAW
• EIGHTH Cause of Action: SEXUAL BATTERY AND ABUSE OF CHILDREN
• NINTH Cause of Action: SEXUAL BATTERY AND RAPE OF ADULT
• TENTH Cause of Action: NEGLIGENT SEXUAL BATTERY AND ABUSE OF A CHILD
• ELEVENTH Cause of Action: CONVERSION

6. The Attorneys: The attorneys who filed this Complaint are Roger Hoole (who has previously litigated against the FLDS/UEP folks, and who graduated from BYU Law School in 1987) and Jaclyn Robertson.  Interestingly, Hoole and Robertson previously filed what appears to be a very similar lawsuit in September 2022 (of the nine plaintiffs in this 2022 case, four are named as plaintiffs in the 2024 case), but in state court in Utah (not federal), Case No. 220905426, which was dismissed voluntarily in June 2023 by Hoole's/Robertson's clients.

None of the defendants in the 2024 suit have filed a response yet, but I suspect the same, or some of the same, attorneys who represented them in the 2022 case will be appearing.  Those attorneys are:

• Paul Cannon,
• Laura Fuller,
• Carl Kingston (same address as David, below),
• David Kingston (same address as Carl, above), 
• Ryan Kingston (same address as is given for "Standard Restaurant Supply," one of the defendants),
• Andrew Mitchell

Very troubling stuff.  I hope justice is done for those who have been wronged.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Calm]

13 minutes ago, smac97 said:

Interestingly, Hoole and Robertson previously filed what appears to be a very similar lawsuit in September 2022 (of the nine plaintiffs in this 2022 case, four are named as plaintiffs in the 2024 case), but in state court in Utah (not federal), Case No. 220905426, which was dismissed voluntarily in June 2023 by Hoole's/Robertson's clients.

On what grounds was it dismissed?

[smac97]

Just now, Calm said:

On what grounds was it dismissed?

It looks like the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed it.

[Calm]

21 minutes ago, smac97 said:

It looks like the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed it.

That makes it look like they didn’t have a strong case to me.  Why would they have dismissed it otherwise?  Is this common?

Edited March 5, 2024 by Calm

[smac97]

17 minutes ago, Calm said:

That makes it look like they didn’t have a strong case to me.  

There are plenty of reasons to voluntarily dismiss a strong case.

17 minutes ago, Calm said:

Why would they have dismissed it otherwise?  Is this common?

It's not uncommon.  As I noted, there is only partial overlap in the plaintiffs, with some of those in the 2022 lawsuit dropping out and new ones added to the 2024 suit.  It could be that some of the plaintiffs changed their minds, or else there were other "behind the scenes" dramatics and problems that made proceeding in the 2022 case difficult.  Sometimes it's better to start over.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Tacenda]

2 hours ago, smac97 said:

From The Daily Beast: Polygamous Mormon Sect Is Actually a Sex Trafficking Cult: Lawsuit

Here is a link to the Complaint.  It's pretty long.  Some of the particulars:

1. Where/When: The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Utah on February 28.

2. Plaintiffs: The plaintiffs, ten women, are filing under their own names. 

3. Defendants: The named individual (non-corporate) defendants are:

• Paul Elden Kingston
• John Daniel Kingston, Sr.
• Hyrum Dalton Kingston
• David Ortell Kingston
• Jesse Orvil Kingston
• Jason Ortell Kingston
• Rachel Orlean Kingston Young
• John Paul Johnson
• Jacob Daniel Kingston, Jr.
• Jacob Ortell Kingston, Sr.
• Sally Kingston
• John Daniel Kingston, Jr.
• Daniel Charles Kingston
• Patricia Kingston
• Paul Elden Kingston, Jr.
• Michelle Afton Michaels
• Deborah Williams
• Jolene Andrews
• April McKay
• Valarie Martin
• Kent William Johnson

The named corporate defendants (the "Order Businesses") are:

• Davis County Cooperative Society, Inc. {EDIT TO ADD: this is a non-profit Utah corporation} dba Redwood Grocery & Health Foods and John’s Market Place {EDIT TO ADD: these are both for-profit Utah corporations}
• Latter Day Church of Christ, dba, ZMPC and LDCC {EDIT TO ADD: this is a non-profit Utah corporation}
• A-1 Disposal {EDIT TO ADD: "a waste management and recycling solutions center organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 610 West 3410 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119"}
• Management Business Systems, Inc.
• Advanced Copy {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit copying and duplicating service organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 4850 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, Utah 84123"}
• Ensign Learning Center, Inc. {EDIT TO ADD: "an educational center organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 2755 Decker Lake Lane, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119"}
• Vanguard Academy {EDIT TO ADD: "a charter school organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 2650 South Decker Lake Lane, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119"}
• Advanced Vending {EDIT TO ADD: "a vending management company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 3994 South 300 West, Unit 32, Murray, Utah 84107"}
• A&W Restaurants {EDIT TO ADD: "a franchise organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 6765 UT-36, Stansbury Park, Utah 84074. The franchise is part of a chain of for-profit A&W Restaurants that serve fast food"}
• The Food Group, LLC {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit entity organized under the laws of Utah, with a registered address listed as 670 East 3900 South Ste 300 Salt Lake City, UT 84107 and doing business as A&W Taylorsville, A&W Plymouth, and A&W Stansbury"}
• United Fuel Supply {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit commodity trading company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 7950 West 2400 North, Plymouth, Utah 84330"}
• Washakie Farm {EDIT TO ADD: "is located in or around the town of Washakie, Utah in Box Elder County. It is a for profit farm owned by the Order"}
• Order Bank aka the “Office” aka the “Century Office” {EDIT TO ADD: per the Complaint this is "not a real banking organization, but rather a set of offices with the main office located at 53 West Angelo Ave, Salt Lake City, Utah and a larger office at 10 Century Park Way, Salt Lake City, Utah"}
• Family Stores True Value {EDIT TO ADD: "for-profit hardware store organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 4860 South Redwood Rd, Taylorsville, Utah 84123"}
• Standard Restaurant Supply {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit restaurant supply company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 3500 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115"}
• AAA Communications {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit answering service organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 2971 South Richards Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115"}
• Washakie Renewable Energy, LLC {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit biofuel company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 3950 South 700 East Ste #100, Salt Lake City, Utah 84107"} {EDIT TO ADD: This entity was part of a massive ($512 million) fraud case in 2019 - see here}
• Fidelity Lending {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit finance and credit company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 10 West Century Parkway, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115"}
• Property Compliance, aka Arrow Real Estate {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit real estate company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 635 West 5300 South Ste 202, Murray, Utah 84123"}
• Attco Trucking aka CTC Trucking {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit freight and transportation company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 2750 West 900 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84104"} {EDIT TO ADD: "Coal Trucking Company which may also be known as CTC Trucking, LLC and/or Coal Valley, LLC is a for-profit entity owned and operated by the Order"} 
• American Digital Systems {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit software company organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 2971 South Richard Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115"}
• Garco Property Management {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit business with a principal place of business at 3994 South 300 West, Millcreek, Utah 84107"}
• American Wellness & Rehab Clinic {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit family medicine clinic organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 677 West 5300 South, Murray, Utah 84123"}
• A-Action Express {EDIT TO ADD: "for-profit transportation company that provides school and employee bus services for Order children, organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 624 North 300 West, Salt Lake City, Utah 84103"}
• Mitchell & Associates {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit accounting company that provides Order members tax and accounting services for the benefit of the Order, organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 670 East 3900 South, Suite 301, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117"}
• A-Fab Engineering  {EDIT TO ADD: "F-Fab Engineering is a for-profit engineering company, organized under the laws of Utah, with a principal place of business at 83 Navajo Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84104"}
• Sierra Wholesale {EDIT TO ADD: "a for-profit flooring company and a dba of the Order operating within Standard Restaurant Supply, with a principal place of business at 3500 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115"}

4. The Allegations: The Complaint is very long.  The factual allegations alone take up 109 pages.  The contents are laid out in some detail, but are summed up in paragraphs 98-101:

Very long.  Very disturbing.

5. Legal Claims: Here are the causes of action in the Complaint:

• FIRST Cause of Action: LABOR TRAFFICKING IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW
• SECOND Cause of Action: SEX TRAFFICKING IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW
• THIRD Cause of Action: VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT
• FOURTH Cause of Action: VIOLATION OF RICO 18 U.S.C. § 1962(C)
• FIFTH Cause of Action: VIOLATION OF RICO 18 U.S.C. § 1962(D)
• SIXTH Cause of Action: LABOR TRAFFICKING IN VIOLATION OF UTAH LAW
• SEVENTH Cause of Action: SEX TRAFFICKING IN VIOLATION OF UTAH LAW
• EIGHTH Cause of Action: SEXUAL BATTERY AND ABUSE OF CHILDREN
• NINTH Cause of Action: SEXUAL BATTERY AND RAPE OF ADULT
• TENTH Cause of Action: NEGLIGENT SEXUAL BATTERY AND ABUSE OF A CHILD
• ELEVENTH Cause of Action: CONVERSION

6. The Attorneys: The attorneys who filed this Complaint are Roger Hoole (who has previously litigated against the FLDS/UEP folks, and who graduated from BYU Law School in 1987) and Jaclyn Robertson.  Interestingly, Hoole and Robertson previously filed what appears to be a very similar lawsuit in September 2022 (of the nine plaintiffs in this 2022 case, four are named as plaintiffs in the 2024 case), but in state court in Utah (not federal), Case No. 220905426, which was dismissed voluntarily in June 2023 by Hoole's/Robertson's clients.

None of the defendants in the 2024 suit have filed a response yet, but I suspect the same, or some of the same, attorneys who represented them in the 2022 case will be appearing.  Those attorneys are:

• Paul Cannon,
• Laura Fuller,
• Carl Kingston (same address as David, below),
• David Kingston (same address as Carl, above), 
• Ryan Kingston (same address as is given for "Standard Restaurant Supply," one of the defendants),
• Andrew Mitchell

Very troubling stuff.  I hope justice is done for those who have been wronged.

Thanks,

-Smac

It's about time!!! Thanks for the post!

[Tacenda]

1 hour ago, smac97 said:

It looks like the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed it.

Possibly afraid for their lives, I'm thinking.

[smac97]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

It's about time!!! Thanks for the post!

This is going to be a difficult lawsuit.  The Kingstons will be fighting for their survival, both as businesses and as a religion.  And given the scope of this case, it will likely last for years, and will cost a fortune.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Tacenda]

29 minutes ago, smac97 said:

This is going to be a difficult lawsuit.  The Kingstons will be fighting for their survival, both as businesses and as a religion.  And given the scope of this case, it will likely last for years, and will cost a fortune.

Thanks,

-Smac

Years ago I fell into the rabbit hole of all things polygamy and watched, listened or read about the Kingston group and many other polygamy groups. There was a news story awhile back with a young couple either related or not, now can't remember, but think it was a daughter of one of the group and she became a whistle blower of the Kingston empire's illegal activity. Maybe I'll find it and post it. ETA: Found it! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kingston-clan-blowing-the-whistle-at-23-escaping-polygamy/#:~:text=But that's what happened to,for CBS's series "Whistleblower."

Yet another bad fruit of the branch of the polygamy tree.

Edited March 5, 2024 by Tacenda

[rpn]

On 3/4/2024 at 7:03 PM, Calm said:

On 3/4/2024 at 6:42 PM, smac97 said:

 

That makes it look like they didn’t have a strong case to me.  Why would they have dismissed it otherwise?  Is this common?

Alternatively it could have been that the state court with jurisdiction is too close to some or all of the defendants for the claimants to feel like they'd get a fair shake.

And it could have been that the federal laws give different remedies and/or have greater chance of fully taking out the whole enterprise.  

In rare cases, it is just because the only attorneys brave enough to take the case got sick or had family troubles that interfered with trying the case in a timely manner. 

 

[truth4all]

It was dismissed because none of it it true. How do I find out who runs this forum?

[smac97]

2 hours ago, truth4all said:

It was dismissed because none of it it true. How do I find out who runs this forum?

I just checked the federal court docket.  The lawsuit is still in place, with a "Third Amended Complaint" filed on June 1.  Multiple motions to dismiss have been filed, but most claims against most of the defendants have been denied.  There are currently four motions to dismiss filed on June and July, none of which has been adjudicated.

Here is a Grok summary of the Third Amended Complaint:

Quote

Summary of the Third Amended Complaint (Kingston Case)

Case: Amanda Rae Grant et al. v. Paul Elden Kingston et al. Court: U.S. District Court, District of Utah (Case No. 2:24-cv-00155) Filed: June 1, 2026 (Third Amended Complaint)

Nature of the Case

This is a major civil lawsuit brought by 10 women (former or current members of the Kingston Group, also known as the Davis County Cooperative or "The Order") against high-ranking leaders of the Kingston polygamous clan.

Main Allegations

The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of operating a multi-generational organized enterprise involving:

• Sexual abuse and trafficking of minor girls within the group
• Forced marriages (including child brides)
• Coercive control, brainwashing, and isolation from the outside world
• Financial exploitation and labor trafficking
• Systematic cover-ups of abuse

The complaint details a pattern of alleged abuse spanning decades, with specific claims against named defendants (including Paul Elden Kingston and several other high-level Kingston men) for rape, sexual assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and civil conspiracy.

Key Claims

• RICO violations (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) — alleging the Kingston Group functions as a criminal enterprise.
• Sex trafficking and forced labor claims.
• Fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and other torts.
• Plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief, and other remedies.

Significance

This is one of the most significant legal actions against the Kingston Group in recent years, building on prior allegations of polygamy, welfare fraud, and intra-family abuse. The plaintiffs are represented by prominent attorneys, including the Hoole & King firm and Skadden Arps.

The complaint is 138 pages long and contains detailed factual allegations about specific incidents and a broader pattern of systemic abuse.

More Grok-generated detail:

Quote

Detailed Breakdown of the Third Amended Complaint (Amanda Rae Grant et al. v. Paul Elden Kingston et al., Case No. 2:24-cv-00155)

Plaintiffs

10 women, most of whom are former or escaped members of the Kingston Group (a polygamous fundamentalist Mormon sect also known as “The Order” or Davis County Cooperative). They allege lifelong exposure to systematic abuse within the group.

Defendants

High-ranking leaders of the Kingston organization, including:

• Paul Elden Kingston (alleged “prophet” or top leader)
• Other senior Kingston men (John Daniel Kingston Sr., Hyrum Dalton Kingston, David Ortell Kingston, etc.)
• Some wives and enablers within the family

Core Allegations

The complaint paints the Kingston Group as a racketeering enterprise that uses religious doctrine, economic control, and fear to perpetrate and conceal widespread sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation of women and children.

Key Claims Include:

1. Civil RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) — The most significant claim. Plaintiffs allege the defendants operated a criminal enterprise through patterns of:
   • Sexual abuse of minors
   • Forced marriages
   • Labor trafficking
   • Welfare fraud
   • Money laundering
2. Sex Trafficking (federal and state claims) — Alleging coercion of girls and young women into sexual relationships and marriages.
3. Sexual Abuse / Assault / Battery — Specific incidents of rape and molestation by named defendants.
4. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress — Severe psychological harm from the environment of control and abuse.
5. Conspiracy, Fraud, and Breach of Fiduciary Duty.

Patterns Described

• Child brides and forced polygamous marriages
• Systematic grooming and sexual abuse of girls starting at young ages
• Economic control (members turn over income and property to the group)
• Isolation from the outside world and punishment for questioning authority
• Alleged use of religious teachings to justify abuse

The complaint includes graphic details of specific incidents involving several of the named plaintiffs.

Relief Sought

• Substantial compensatory and punitive damages
• Injunctive relief (to prevent further harm)
• Attorney fees and costs
• Jury trial demand

This is an aggressive, wide-ranging complaint aimed at holding the top leadership accountable for what plaintiffs describe as institutionalized abuse spanning generations.

Thanks,

-Smac

Edited 32 minutes ago by smac97

[Calm]

2 hours ago, truth4all said:

How do I find out who runs this forum?

Why?