Clint Devries, 36, of Lake City, Iowa, is headed to federal prison for 18 months after pleading guilty to three felony counts of fraud that bled banks, insurers, and taxpayers dry over four years. The self-styled farmer lied to secure loans, padded insurance claims, and then hid assets when the house of cards collapsed.
Devries admitted in a September 26, 2017 plea deal that from 2013 to 2015, he falsified records on stored crops and inflated collateral values to sucker a bank into issuing over $400,000 in farm operating loans. He never paid a dime back. The scheme didn’t stop at the bank—Devries systematically gamed the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation from 2012 to 2015, understating his actual harvests to claim more than $450,000 in undeserved payouts.
When the debt tsunami hit, Devries filed for bankruptcy in October 2015. Even then, he couldn’t play it straight. He lied to the court-appointed trustee, concealing the sale of crops that should have gone to creditors. Every signature, every form, every sworn statement was weaponized to delay the inevitable.
Sentenced on February 7, 2018, by Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard T. Strand in Sioux City, Devries now faces the consequences. The 18-month prison term comes with a crushing $1,190,696.12 restitution order to repay his victims. A $300 special assessment was tacked on—pocket change compared to the damage.
After release, Devries will serve three years under federal supervision. There’s no parole in the federal system—no backdoor escape. He remains free on bond until U.S. Marshals set his surrender date, but the clock is ticking.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the USDA’s Office of the Inspector General, the FBI, and the Office of the U.S. Trustee in the Northern District of Iowa. Court records are filed under 17-cr-3041 at the Northern District of Iowa’s electronic docket system.
Related Federal Cases
- Marion Broker Beltramea Gets Over Nine Years For Fraud, Laundering · Iowa
- Ex-City Clerk Christine King Sentenced for $80K Masonville Fraud · Iowa
- Mandy Lea Whipple Gets 18 Months for Mortgage Fraud · Iowa
- Kaeisha Robinson Gets 7 Years for Tax Fraud, ID Theft · Iowa
- Genocide Denier Ngombwa Gets 15 Years for Fraud · Iowa
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
