Appointed in 2013 and elected for three subsequent terms, Sean D. Reyes redefined the role of Utah’s Attorney General. His leadership focused on protecting Utah’s laws, families, liberties, natural resources and economic prosperity by modernizing law enforcement, putting Utah at the forefront of major national cases and providing leadership on pressing societal challenges.
General Reyes has established a global reputation as an expert in combating human trafficking and transnational crime. In 2014, he garnered international attention after news leaked of his role as an undercover operative in Colombia for one of the largest sex trafficking takedowns on record, helping liberate over 120 children in a single day. He led the successful statewide investigation and prosecution of Victor Rax, a notorious international gang leader who trafficked minors in Utah for over fifteen years. His office dismantled illicit enterprises involving sex trafficking, labor trafficking, child exploitation, illegal adoptions, and organized retail crime. He also led a multi-year investigation and prosecution with other states to convict a trafficker connected to illegal international adoptions from the Marshall Islands. In 2023, he served as an associate producer of the global box office hit Sound of Freedom, which highlighted the horrors of human trafficking and depicted elements of undercover operations similar to those he supported worldwide.
As co-founder of the Utah Opioid Taskforce, Reyes worked in a bipartisan way to reduce opioid-related deaths, helping Utah move from one of the most impacted states to one of the least. In partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration, he helped capture and prosecute one of the world’s most prolific dark web fentanyl dealers, obtaining a life sentence against Aaron Shamo for distributing drugs globally. Reyes was also a driving force behind the creation of the national 988 mental health crisis hotline, the equivalent of 911 for mental health emergencies such as suicide and addiction. He co-created the SafeUT App, providing a lifeline to thousands battling depression, suicide, substance abuse, and self-harm, while helping thwart hundreds of cases of potential school violence. He additionally served as executive producer of the A&E series Addiction Unplugged, highlighting both the opioid epidemic and recovery success stories.
Drawing on his background in technology and venture investment, General Reyes introduced and implemented cutting-edge tools in law enforcement, including Rapid DNA technology, AI-driven aggregation tools, and virtual reality violence de-escalation training. He organized and secured funding for the first statewide task force in America focused on Organized Retail Crime and became a national leader advocating aggressive investigations and prosecutions of white-collar crime, cybercrime, identity theft, and corporate fraud. He helped lead multiple national cases against major technology and social media companies when youth safety, consumer protection, and privacy were at risk. He also founded an annual innovation conference in Silicon Valley bringing together technology founders, lawmakers, and regulators to discuss policy, ethics, and innovation.
Before serving as Attorney General, Reyes litigated and tried cases for nearly 14 years at his state’s largest law firm, representing Fortune 500 companies in technology, aerospace, defense, energy, finance, banking, insurance, and other industries. He later served as General Counsel for a Utah-based technology and media company in Silicon Slopes and became a partner in a technology venture fund investing in and operating emerging companies. In 2008, he was recognized by the American Bar Association as its first-ever National Outstanding Young Lawyer for ethics, courtroom success, bar service, and pro bono leadership, and he has since received dozens of awards for excellence in law, business, politics, and humanitarian service. He is a fellow of the Aspen Institute Rodel Scholars leadership program and has lectured at prestigious universities and global forums worldwide.