Henry Berg, Lying on Farm Loan Application, Wisconsin 2019

MADISON, Wis. — A former Wisconsin farmer was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for lying on a farm loan application, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Henry Berg, 42, formerly of Arcadia, Wisconsin, and currently of Geneva, Illinois, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson on May 2, 2019 for knowingly making a false statement for the purpose of influencing an Agricultural Credit Association, Badgerland Financial ACA (now Compeer Financial), in connection with a $650,000 agricultural loan.

Berg failed to disclose certain debts on his 2015 loan application and misrepresented to the bank that he had obtained crop insurance. Once he defaulted on the loan, Badgerland learned that Berg did not farm in 2015 and had disposed of the collateral he had pledged in connection with the loan.

As a result, the federal government suffered a loss of $596,036.30, and Badgerland suffered a loss of $53,963.70. Berg was ordered to pay restitution.

The charge against Berg was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin.

Berg pleaded guilty to the charge on May 2, 2019, and was subsequently sentenced by Judge Peterson.

As part of his sentence, Berg was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release following his incarceration.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi/pr/man-sentenced-lying-farm-loan-application