Related Federal Cases
KY Farmer Conley Milks COVID Relief for Over $1.2M
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Robert Conley, 71, of Georgetown, Kentucky, is facing serious time after admitting to a brazen scheme to siphon over $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Conley, a cattle buyer, seller, and part owner of Paris Stockyards, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to providing a false claim to obtain the funds.
The scheme revolved around the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), established under the 2020 CARES Act. While intended to support struggling farmers and ranchers, Conley exploited the program by directing four individuals to submit fraudulent applications, falsely claiming ownership of his cattle. These individuals, unwittingly used as pawns, received a total of $1,206,539.80 in CFAP funds, which they then handed over to Conley. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency administered the program, and applicants were explicitly warned about criminal penalties for false statements.
But Conley didn’t stop there. He also filed three false applications under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), claiming that the same individuals had payroll expenses tied to his cattle operation. This netted him an additional $72,660 in fraudulently obtained funds. The man clearly saw the pandemic as an opportunity for personal enrichment, treating federal aid like a personal piggy bank.
Acting United States Attorney Paul McCaffrey for the Eastern District of Kentucky, along with Janet M. Sorensen of the USDA Office of Inspector General and Karen Wingerd of IRS-Criminal Investigations, announced the guilty plea. The investigation, a joint effort between the USDA-OIG and IRS, uncovered the intricate web of deceit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Smith is leading the prosecution.
Conley is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2025. He faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in federal prison. However, the judge will consider U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and federal statutes when determining the final punishment. This case is part of a larger effort by the Department of Justice’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established by the Attorney General to combat pandemic-related fraud.
Anyone with information regarding COVID-19 fraud is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or through the NCDF Web Complaint Form: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. The feds are serious about prosecuting those who preyed on the crisis, and Conley is about to learn that the hard way.
Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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