Missourian pleads guilty to defrauding COVID Food Assistance Program

A man from Jameson, Mo. has pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, a program created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Troy Jennings, 49, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to a federal information that charges him with one count of theft of government funds.

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)—a program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture through the Farm Service Agency (FSA)—was created to provide financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities during the coronavirus pandemic. As part of the program, cattle producers could receive a per-head payment for cattle sold between January 15, 2020, and April 15, 2020.

In June 2020, Jennings provided false information on his CFAP application regarding the number of cattle he sold. When asked by the FSA to substantiate his numbers, Jennings submitted multiple fraudulent documents and activated a pre-paid phone in an attempt to impersonate another man.

As part of his plea agreement, Jennings will be required to pay restitution in the amount of $114,267, the full amount he received from the CFAP.

Under federal statutes, Jennings is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentence of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.