To the Federal Bureau of Investigation (DOJ Civil Rights Division):

We demand an immediate federal investigation into the American Fork Police Department (AFPD) for the targeted harassment and unlawful detention of investigative journalist Benjamin Schneider ("Reckless Ben").

Evidence suggests the AFPD is acting as a private security force for BAM Franchising (Bricks & Minifigs) to suppress a public interest investigation into a $200,000 property dispute. Mr. Schneider has been subjected to repeated "swatting" events, multiple arrests on questionable misdemeanor charges, and threats of no-bail imprisonment—effectively amounting to state-sanctioned kidnapping to silence dissent.

We cite the following legal basis for intervention:

18 U.S.C. § 242 (Color of Law): Wilful deprivation of Constitutional rights by government officials.

18 U.S.C. § 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights): Intentional collusion to intimidate a citizen.

Utah Code § 76-8-201 (Official Misconduct): Unauthorized acts performed by public servants to harm another.

We request an emergency audit of all AFPD communication with Bricks & Minifigs corporate officers and a full review of the video recorded by "reckless Ben and co workers" as well as the bodycam footage, from late May of 2026 exact dates and times can be provided in the  recorded videos, as well as stand as evidence of Fourth Amendment violations.

The public record now contains extensive video documentation illustrating a pattern of behavior by the American Fork Police Department that appears to deviate from standard law enforcement protocols. These recorded interactions demonstrate a prioritisation of private corporate interests over the constitutional rights of individual citizens.

Furthermore, there is a significant public concern regarding potential undue influence and conflicts of interest involving the local religious community and the ownership of BAM Franchising (Bricks & Minifigs). It is widely theorized that the shared affiliations between department leadership, municipal officials, and the corporate entities involved have resulted in a "contracted" style of policing. In this environment, law enforcement resources appear to be deployed as a private enforcement arm to shield specific business interests from legal accountability and civil process.

We request that the Department of Justice investigate whether these communal and corporate associations have compromised the AFPD’s ability to provide impartial protection and whether they have led to the targeted harassment and unlawful detention of those seeking to exercise their First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights.