⏱ 2 min read
Jeffrey McCown, a manager at a Bozeman-based dairy cooperative, orchestrated a massive fraud scheme that swindled the dairy out of $1.16 million from 2007-2008. Along with co-conspirators Michael Ernest Monforton, Jeanette Sabrina McCown, and Scott Michael McCown, McCown used co-op funds for personal purchases and reimbursements. The scheme, which began in October 2007, was perpetrated at Country Classic Dairy, a producer-owned co-op based in Bozeman.
The fraud was eventually uncovered by the IRS and FBI, leading to McCown’s conviction in 2011 on wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges. He was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1.16 million in restitution alongside Monforton.
Years after the initial conviction, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Financial Litigation Unit has recovered $848,858.72 to pay McCown’s remaining restitution obligation in full. The recovery was made possible after the Unit learned that McCown was entitled to a substantial payout from the sale of a business and real property, which they promptly garnished.
The recent recovery marks a significant step toward restoring losses suffered by the victims of this fraud. According to Todd Wacaser, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Denver Field Office, the case demonstrates the ongoing pursuit of justice and restitution, even years after a financial crime is committed.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Defendant: Montana
- Location: MT
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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