Easterday sentenced to 11 years in massive 'ghost cattle' scam | Tacoma Todays guilty plea holds the defendant responsible for his extensive and coordinated fraud over many years, resulting in more than $240 million of illicit gains, said Inspector General Jay N. Lerner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG). "He is on the go all the time, trying to see what he can come up with or buy," said Johnny Gamino, who worked as a mechanic on Easterday's many tractors, trailers, trucks and machines for 15 years. New Podcast Follows Downfall of Tri-Cities Cattle Farming Empire Coronavirus slowdowns at meatpackers surely accounted for some of the loss cattle were hard to sell in 2020 while plants sputtered, labor was scarce and the supply chain shifted from restaurants to grocery stores. Acting Principal Assistant Chief Avi Perry and Trial Attorney John Fritz Scanlon of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell E. Smoot of the Eastern District of Washington are prosecuting the case. Shawn and Kristy Freeland with some of their cattle, Corn with fuel pump handle representing ethanol fuel. So while this deal brought millions in cash from Tyson to Easterday Ranches in the short term, it could also send that money and sometimes more back again. ", "It's been clear for years now that these facilities housing tens of thousands of cows and producing waste on par with many cities are mega-polluters regardless of the operators," the groups said in a statement earlier this year. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners to protect consumers and businesses from duplicitous practices. As a member of the DTNPF online community you can contribute to discussions, save your settings, get exclusive email alerts and access to special online sections, and read e-newsletters. And because no one can know what the market price of beef will be in some months, he never knew whether he would break even. Easterday | Northwest News Network He lost another $17 million in 2012. The duo were industrious, driven and often on the hunt for opportunities and deals, angling to better the farm and ranch. According to the Washington State Patrol, 79-year-old Gale A. Easterday crashed his pickup truck head-on with a semi-truck and trailer around 3:30 p.m. Reports noted that he had been spearheading Easterday Farms for . Your support matters. Tyson Fresh Meats sued Easterday Ranches at the end of January, making the allegations. Related:Tyson says it's paying for feed for cattle that don't exist. Never fast. On Sept. 15 the U.S. Bankruptcy Court was notified that Agri Beef-affiliate Blue Tag Farms had bid $14 million for more than 600 pieces of equipment at Easterday farms and ranches. Easterday, however, was dead; his Ram decimated. Usual earnings are around $300 a day. When he tried, too late, to swerve, the truck and its potato haul screamed across the highway, crossed the center median, and came to a jolting rest on the opposite side, blocking all of the lanes. I commend the agents with the Federal Deposit Insurance Company Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. "You don't get paid, you move on," said Brad Curtis, whose farm was owed $112,000 for feed. Workers travel between six and 10 miles in this position every day, paid by how much they pick. Claiming Easterday Ranches conducted a "fire sale" of one of its feedlots just days before filing for bankruptcy, Tyson Foods asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Washington this week to appoint a trustee to take control of the Easterday estate.
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easterday farms scandal