Fleming Magistrate sentenced to 66 months

Daily Independent (Ashland, KY)

Jul. 16—FRANKFORT — Christopher G. Hickerson, 47, a Fleming County Magistrate and farmer, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison on Wednesday for conspiracy to commit crop insurance fraud and tax fraud. U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove handed down the sentence.

Hickerson filed false claims of loss on his Multi-Peril Crop Insurance ("MPCI") policies from 2009-16, according to evidence.

MPCI policies are federally sponsored crop insurance policies, which are funded through taxpayer money. In his plea agreement, Hickerson admitted to committing crop insurance fraud with the assistance of co-conspirators Roger Wilson, former owner of Clay's Tobacco Warehouse, and Debra Muse, former employee at Clay's Tobacco Warehouse, by obtaining fake Clay's Tobacco Warehouse sales receipts and grading reports that made it appear as though he produced and sold poor quality tobacco, and then submitting those on his claims of loss, according to a press release.

Testimony during a sentencing hearing revealed that Hickerson employed other schemes to defraud the federal crop insurance program, including by placing crop insurance policies in his family member and friends' names covering his own crop. As a result, Hickerson fraudulently caused a loss of nearly $1 million to the taxpayer-funded insurance program.

Hickerson further admitted that he underreported his crop sales income in 2012, 2013 and 2015. This caused a second loss to the federal government — this time to the IRS — of more than $150,000 in unpaid taxes, according to the release.

Under federal law, Hickerson must serve 85% of his sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for a period of three years. Hickerson must also pay restitution that will be determined later by the Court.

The investigation was conducted by the USDA, FBI, IRS and the Kentucky Department of Insurance. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Anderson and Erin Roth.

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