The Davis County Attorney’s Office’s investigation into Operation Underground Railroad first emerged in October 2020, when a segment aired on Fox 13 News that contrasted the morally just work that O.U.R. claimed it was engaged in — rescuing vulnerable people from child traffickers — and the shock revelation that people within the organization may have engaged in criminal activity.

That report was also notable for the fact that, as it was an ongoing investigation, no details with regard to the potential wrongdoing could be broadcast. The only clue came from Davis County attorney Troy Rawlings, who, separate from his confirmation that an investigation was underway, posted a warning on Instagram that Fox 13 interpreted as being about O.U.R. It read: “Please beware of any individual, entity or organization who solicits your money and may be claiming credit for work to protect children that is actually done by our task force and/or other law-enforcement organizations in Utah and around the world. Get the details before parting with your cash … They have had absolutely zero involvement in any of these arrests and successful prosecutions you see on display on the ‘Wall of Shame’ in the Davis County Attorney’s Office.”

And O.U.R. certainly seemed to be doing well in terms of soliciting donations, with profits leaping from $6.9 million in 2016 to more than $47 million in 2020, according to ProPublica. However, in May 2023 the Attorney’s Office announced that they had officially closed their investigation having found no evidence of criminality.