Nickolas J. Berbos, Bribery, South Dakota 2014

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Bribery Sentence Handed Down to Aberdeen Man

A 53-year-old man from Aberdeen, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 5 years of probation and ordered to pay a hefty fine for his role in a bribery case. Nickolas J. Berbos, a resident of Aberdeen, was convicted of promising an illegal gratuity to a witness in a federal case.

According to court documents, Berbos initiated a conversation with one of his employees, Todd Daniels, in November 2013. During that conversation, Berbos promised to give Daniels additional employment benefits if Daniels would tell investigators and testify in court that Daniels did not run the air seeder on Berbos’ farm during the time period covering some of Berbos’ disputed crop applications.

The issue of who was running the air seeder and the accuracy of the air seeder’s numbers was a material issue to the prosecution of the underlying case against Berbos. Berbos had been indicted by a federal grand jury on August 21, 2013, for three counts of False Crop Insurance Claim. However, he pled guilty to a Superseding Information on June 9, 2014, charging him with Illegal Gratuity to a Witness.

Before being sentenced, Berbos had served almost three months in custody for violating his bond. On September 22, 2014, U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann handed down the sentence, ordering Berbos to pay a $250,000 fine and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Berbos’ sentence also includes 5 years of probation.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Wright and Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office stated that the case highlights the importance of ensuring the integrity of the judicial process. ‘This sentence sends a clear message that bribery and obstruction of justice will not be tolerated in our courts,’ the spokesperson said.

Berbos’ case serves as a reminder that even seemingly minor actions can have significant consequences. His promise of a bribe was a serious offense that could have impacted the outcome of the underlying case.

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