Gary Matthew Johnston, 34, Nodaway, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to five years of probation, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $113,754.20, for converting the proceeds from the sales of approximately 176 head of cattle that were mortgaged by the Farm Service Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture.
On March 5, 2015, Johnston pled guilty to the charge of conversion of mortgaged property, which was the result of an investigation by law enforcement after Johnston was involved in multiple sales of collateral at livestock auctions that were not reported to the Farm Service Agency as required.
United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, and this case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
