Nickolas J. Berbos, Bribery, South Dakota 2014

Grimy Times has learned that Nickolas J. Berbos, a 53-year-old Aberdeen man, was sentenced to 5 years of probation, fined $250,000, and ordered to pay a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for promising an illegal gratuity to a witness.

First Assistant United States Attorney Randy Seiler announced the sentencing on September 22, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann. Prior to sentencing, Berbos had served almost three months in custody for violating his bond.

Berbos was originally indicted by a federal grand jury on August 21, 2013, for three counts of False Crop Insurance Claim. He pled guilty to a Superseding Information on June 9, 2014, charging him with Illegal Gratuity to a Witness.

In November 2013, Berbos initiated a conversation with Todd Daniels, one of his employees. During that conversation, Berbos promised to give Daniels additional employment benefits if Daniels would tell investigators and testify in court that Daniels did not run the air seeder on Berbos' farm during the time period covering some of Berbos' disputed crop applications.

The issue of who was running the air seeder and the accuracy of the air seeder's numbers was a material issue to the prosecution of the underlying case against Berbos. This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture - Office of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Wright and Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.

Berbos' case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of attempting to influence witness testimony. His actions not only undermined the integrity of the justice system but also put innocent lives at risk.

In light of this case, Grimy Times urges all individuals to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/aberdeen-man-sentenced-bribery-case