WASATCH COUNTY, Utah — Wasatch County has completed its investigation into Sheriff Jared Rigby and his department. The findings show a pattern of serious concerns surrounding favoritism and intimidation within the department.
The county hired a retired judge to complete the investigation.
In his report, Retired Judge Richard D. McKelvie documented similar concerns to the ones that prevented Rigby from obtaining a powerful state position in 2023.
At that time, a FOX 13 News investigation exposed a video of Rigby accused of bullying and intimidating a police officer. Governor Spencer Cox appointed him to be the next leader of Peace Officer Standards and Training. But upon learning of the video, Rigby's swearing-in ceremony was postponed and ultimately canceled.
Rigby resigned his position as sheriff in order to accept the POST Director position. When he did not get the job, Wasatch County allowed him to return.
McKelvie's investigation began in March 2025 and lasted approximately five months. He interviewed more than 30 current and former law enforcement officers, some of whom supported Rigby in 2023.
Some deputies said Rigby and Undersheriff Josh Probst interfered with investigations, even though they both reportedly admitted to not having "significant training or experience in criminal investigation."
For example, officers reported Rigby instructing them to not arrest a suspect in a high-profile murder investigation despite having found a murder weapon buried in the suspect's backyard.
The suspect was eventually charged with obstruction, not murder.
"As the primary detective and other very experienced officers prepared to execute the search warrant, they were instructed by Sheriff Rigby and Undersheriff Probst not to arrest the suspect, regardless of what was found in the search," McKelvie wrote. "The possibility of any post-arrest interrogation that might have been conducted was lost, resulting in great frustration not just for the investigators involved in the case, but to other (law enforcement) agencies."
Deputies also reported Rigby for playing favorites, picking and choosing who gets promoted within the department depending on how loyal they are. Some reported giving up on applying for promotions because the perception was that the process is already rigged.
Two witnesses reported seeing Rigby take photos of a lieutenant exam and texting them to a candidate for the position.
A retired lieutenant stated he received "every question and answer" to the lieutenant's exam prior to taking the test. He said he received the answers during a 4-hour phone call.
"Subsequently, the witness took the exam and passed with the highest grade, evoking a WCSO civilian administrator to express his surprise that the witness scored so high. The witness acknowledged that he almost certainly would not have passed the test but for Sheriff Rigby's assistance."
Rigby "flatly denied" the allegations.
Witnesses also reported Rigby for wasting taxpayer dollars, using a county vehicle to drive to Provo for his other full-time job working as a police officer for Brigham Young University.
"This issue was presented to me by so many witnesses that it is apparent it is an area of great concern and resentment."
Rigby acknowledged he uses the county vehicle to drive to Provo and that he uses taxpayer money to pay for the gas. He also said he does so for public safety reasons, which is within the sheriff's department policy because it is within 50 miles.
The investigation determined Rigby likely wrote that policy himself. McKelvie recommended the county consider amending that policy "in light of the damage it has apparently caused to the morale of WCSO personnel."
FOX 13 News first started asking questions about this to Wasatch County prior to the launch of the investigation.
"I think we’re always sensitive to the highest and best use of our public funds, and I think anytime there’s concerns about those things we’re happy to address them and be alerted to them and do what we can to ensure that we are using taxpayer funds responsibly," said County Manager Dustin Grabau.
Witnesses also said Rigby used county funds to give gifts to other sheriffs and to pay for a campaign event.
McKelvie was not given access to financial records, so he could not confirm or deny whether the allegations were true.
Numerous number of employees accused Rigby of rarely being seen in office, which Rigby disputed.
The retired judge also documented how neighboring agencies such as the Summit County Sheriff's Office and Heber City Police Department have a strained relationship with the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office due to Rigby's behavior.
"Each expressed their opinions that those relationships had deteriorated significantly under Sheriff Rigby’s administration, even to the extent that some joint task forces and other joint operations had been temporarily abandoned."
McKelvie's largest finding surrounded morale within the department. He documented officers routinely quitting or retiring early because of Rigby.
The most common theme he noticed was fear of retaliation.
"There is a widespread perception within the ranks of the WCSO, at least among
the employees and former employees I interviewed, that assignments are used as reward or punishment for perceived loyalty or want thereof."
Many employees were afraid to be interviewed on Wasatch County property because the building was under surveillance.
Instead, McKelvie conducted interviews at the Heber City Police Department, individual homes, at a local coffee shop, and online via Zoom.
In one case, McKelvie documented how a deputy was placed on administrative leave one week after the sheriff learned that they cooperated with the investigation and reported Rigby.
The deputy has not been allowed to return until passing a "fitness for duty" test, which includes a "psychological examination."
"Of course, there may have been a compelling and appropriate reason for the
WCSO to take this action, but the timing left a clear impression that placing this employee on administrative leave was an act of retaliation in response to the employee's interview with me As of this writing, the employee has not returned to duty, has no scheduled date to return, and has had no communication with the administration of WCSO since July 2."
The report did not indicate what Rigby's explanation was for placing the deputy on leave.
McKelvie stated he was "specifically excluded" from investigating criminal activity. Nevertheless, McKelvie placed Rigby under a "Garrity" warning, which protects employees from criminal prosecution and self-incrimination. Instead, McKelvie was instructed to forward evidence of criminal violations to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
As such, McKelvie stated he spoke with a special agent with the FBI and the Cache County Attorney's Office, but he has not made any "formal referrals" for criminal charges.
The county has said it will not hold a meeting to discuss the investigation. Instead, the county will begin to work on implementing improvements to county policy.
Some of the recommendations would require approval from Rigby.
A spokesperson for Wasatch County stated the Wasatch County Commission would likely not be able to punish Rigby, even if they wanted to, as he is an elected official.
Stay with FOX 13 News for updates on this story.