Local Official Scammed US for $306,000
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – In a shocking case of public corruption, a former Farm Service Agency director in Sumner County, Kansas, has been charged with making $306,000 in unauthorized agriculture disaster payments.
Ellen A. Love, 51, of Argonia, Kansas, was indicted on one count of unlawfully conveying federal funds. The indictment alleges that the crime occurred while she worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as Executive Director of the Sumner County Farm Service Agency.
The USDA provides assistance to farm producers who have suffered losses as a result of agricultural disasters. One program the USDA administers is the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE). To be approved, applicants must have suffered significant crop losses in a disaster-designated county and they must have had crop insurance through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.
The indictment alleges that in June 2013, Love processed payments to four applicants even though they had been disapproved for failing to meet SURE crop insurance requirements.
Love faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Ellen A. Love’s alleged crime is a stark reminder of the importance of accountability in government.
Key Facts
- State: Kansas
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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