Minnesota Man Pleads Responsible in Natural Crops Fraud Scheme That Netted Hundreds of thousands

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota man pleaded responsible to promoting conventionally grown crops as licensed natural produce in a scheme the federal prosecutors stated introduced in $19 million in income.

James Clayton Wolf, 65, of Cottonwood County pleaded responsible Friday to 1 rely of wire fraud after admitting that he offered the improperly labeled crops to a purchaser in Pennsylvania.

As a part of the plea deal, Wolf will likely be required to pay $19 million in restitution.

Federal prosecutors initially charged Wolf and a co-defendant, Adam Clifford Olson, with three counts of wire fraud and one rely of conspiracy. They alleged the lads, each licensed natural farmers, ran the scheme between 2014 and 2021, and it netted $46 million.

Licensed natural crops usually usher in larger costs as a result of they’re raised with out chemical functions, equivalent to herbicides.

Olson’s case is continuous within the courtroom system.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.