Former USDA Loan Officer Charged in Farm Loan Fraud Scheme
A former loan officer for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has been arrested and charged in connection with a farm loan fraud scheme in Texas. Barbara Serna Salinas, 42, was accused of accepting cash and other forms of payment in exchange for approving loans worth over $150,000.
The scheme allegedly took place from May 2011 through June 2016, during which time Salinas issued multiple fraudulent FSA loans to Ruben James Valadez, 43, of Uvalde, and Eric Torres Neira, 43, of San Antonio. The loans were worth a total of over $150,000.
Federal authorities arrested Salinas and Valadez in Uvalde on Tuesday, while Neira was taken into custody in San Antonio on Wednesday. All three have made their initial appearances in federal court and have been released on bond pending resolution of the case.
The United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General-Investigations, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Goran Krnaich and Todd Keagle are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
Upon conviction, the defendants face up to 30 years in federal prison for wire fraud and up to 20 years in federal prison for making a false statement on a loan application.
A criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Mandatory Facts: Defendant: Barbara Serna Salinas, Exact Criminal Charges: Wire fraud, making false statements on a loan application, City and State: Uvalde, Texas, Exact Date: May 2023, Sentence or Outcome: Released on bond pending resolution of the case, Dollar Amounts: $150,000+
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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