ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, US — A Minnesota farmer on Dec. 18 was sentenced to three years in prison and two years of supervised release for his part in a conspiracy to sell conventional corn and soybeans as organic products, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported.

James Clayton Wolf, 66, who appeared before a federal judge in St. Paul on Dec. 18, also was ordered to forfeit property, including land and farming equipment, toward a $19.7 million judgement, the newspaper reported.

Wolf pleaded guilty to wire fraud on May 12, admitting he purchased conventionally farmed grains from a supplier and reselling the grains labeled as organic.

According to court documents, between 2013 and 2021, Wolf engaged in a scheme to defraud grain purchasers by selling them non-GMO grains falsely represented as organic. The scheme netted profits of more than $19 million, according to the court documents, which they said Wolf used to purchase real estate, vehicles and farm equipment, and investments.

Wolf’s nephew, Adam Clifford Olsen, was sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to making to making a false statement.

The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the US Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the US Marshals Service, with assistance from the Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office.