Northwest Minnesota farmer charged with crop insurance fraud

A farmer in northwest Minnesota lied about ruined crops to collect crop insurance, according to charges filed in federal court.

Kevan Jon Nelson was charged Monday, Sept. 27, in U.S. District in Minnesota with making a false statement in a crop insurance application.

According to court documents, Nelson farmed in Becker and Clay counties in Minnesota. In 2018 and 2019, he was paid $548,695 in federal crop insurance payments after falsely reporting losses.

More specifically, he is accused of making the false statement in late 2018 to ARMtech Insurance Services that he should be paid $117,740 for corn and soybeans lost to excess moisture.

ARMtech is reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, part of U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Prosecutors are seeking to seize property from Nelson equivalent to the $548,695 he was paid.

Court records do not list an attorney for Nelson.