Grain Fraud Scheme Results In Nine Year Prison Sentence

USAgNet reports that a Missouri woman was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for a grain fraud scheme that bilked 179 farmers out of a combined $27.4 million and earned her the nickname the “Madoff of the Midwest.” The woman pleaded guilty to one felony count of mail fraud in November. Forbes reports that the U.S. District Judge ordered the woman to pay restitution to the victims, though he doubted she could ever come up with such a large amount of money.

The woman said, “All of these people were like family to me. I never intended to hurt anyone.”