Another warrant targets perks for Swallow, Shurtleff

Investigators in the ongoing probe of former Attorneys General John Swallow and Mark Shurtleff are seeking records belonging to the aide who managed indicted businessman Jeremy Johnson's luxury jet, numerous homes, spacious houseboat and sports cars, which allegedly were used by the two officials.

Additionally, FBI agents last month visited a family that went with the Swallows in 2010 to Lake Powell — where Swallow used Johnson's houseboat — and ordered those friends to hand over photos of the trip, according to a source aware of the law enforcement inquiry who spoke on condition of anonymity because that person was not authorized to discuss it.

A warrant unsealed Monday seeks the Google email, calendars and other documents of Terrance Jacob, who, according to an accompanying affidavit, said Shurtleff and Swallow stayed in Johnson's St. George home on several occasions.

Shurtleff, while serving as attorney general, also used Johnson's luxury Cessna Citation business jet. Swallow, while serving as Shurtleff's top deputy, borrowed Johnson's 75-foot floating mansion on Lake Powell at least twice.

But Jacob told investigators that all of the calendar entries for scheduling the use of the perks were deleted.

In a 2012 meeting at an Orem Krispy Kreme doughnut shop between Johnson and Swallow — which Johnson secretly recorded — Swallow appeared concerned about his use of the houseboat.

"Is there any paper trail on that?" Swallow asked Johnson.

"There's no paper trail on the houseboat," Johnson replied. "Nobody knows about it."

Swallow has said that he believed use of the boat was a gift from a friend and that he paid for the fuel, food and personal watercraft.

The latest unsealed warrant — the 20th made public as part of the months-long investigation by state law officers, the FBI, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill and Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings — once again references a long list of potential crimes that officials are investigating, including bribery, evidence tampering, falsifying government records, gift violations and obstruction of justice.

Utah House investigators, who spent months examining Swallow, noted that his use of the houseboat came at a time when Johnson was trying to persuade the then-chief deputy attorney general to issue an opinion that his company could legally process online-poker payments through a St. George bank, where Johnson was part owner.

Johnson's Elite Debit processed more than $200 million in poker transactions before federal authorities shut down the poker processing and, later, the bank. Johnson's business partner was convicted of bank fraud and did time in prison.

Johnson was not charged in that case, but faces 86 federal counts in connection to his defunct I Works business.

The search warrant for Jacob's records was served on Google in March, but was sealed by a judge until Monday to protect sources in the ongoing probe. In early June, investigators searched the Sandy homes of Swallow and Shurtleff.

gehrke@sltrib.com Twitter: @RobertGehrke