A Washington man has pleaded guilty for falsely charging two companies for the cost and feed of hundreds of thousands of cattle. Plot twist, the cattle never existed!
Cody A. Easterday defrauded Tyson Foods and another company for more than $244 million dollars. According to the agreement between the two companies and Easterday, he would feed and purchase cattle on the companies behalf. When the cattle were ready for market and then sold, Easterday was supposed to repay the companies with interest and he would keep some profits.
Since 2016, he was submitting fake invoices to the two companies. This went on until November of 2020.
He agreed to repay the $244,031,132 dollars as restitution; he also faces up to 20 years in prison.
“For years, Cody Easterday perpetrated a fraud scheme on a massive scale, increasing the cost of producing food for American families. The Criminal Division’s prosecutors are committed to swiftly and thoroughly prosecuting frauds affecting our nation’s agriculture and other commodities markets, whether in the heartland or on Wall Street,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid, according to KHQ.
Story via KHQ