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Chillicothe Man Pleads Guilty To $140 Million Dollar Organic Grain Scheme

Randy Constant

A Chillicothe man faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty in US District Court in Iowa Thursday morning.  The guilty plea was on charges of Wire Fraud and a Scheme to Defraud in the marketing of $140 million dollars of grain as certified organic.  Randy Constant made his appearance and entered a guilty plea for the scheme. Court Documents show Constant owned and operated Organic Land Management (OLM) and held the certifications at organic producers in Nebraska and Missouri.  He also co-owned and operated Jericho Solutions of Missouri, which operated in the northern district of Iowa, and was selling and marketing grain labeled as organic.

The court documents indicate the scheme to defraud took place between 2008 and 2017 and was to sell grain labeled organic, but was in actuality was 90% non-organic or mixed organic and non-organic.  From 2010 to 2017, Constant, through the companies, sold the grains for more than $140 million dollars.

As a result of the Guilty Plea, Constant agreed to forfeiture of more than $128 million dollars of property or equipment derived from the proceeds of the offense.

He has been released on his own recognizance until the time of sentencing.