She helped Kentucky farmers steal big from crop insurance. The scheme will cost her.
Crop insurance agent
Muse had been scheduled to go on trial in federal court Tuesday in
Muse pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud
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The purpose of the conspiracy was to profit through the filing of fake insurance claims and the sale of unreported tobacco, the indictment said.
The fraud detailed in the first count of the indictment occurred in late 2014 and early 2015 when Muse caused insurance payments totaling
In addition to working as a crop insurance agent, Muse was employed as a seasonal worker at
For the warehouse, Muse entered information into a software program that tracked the purchases, sales and shipments of tobacco.
As a crop insurance agent, Muse obtained policies for her client farmers. Those farmers, "at the urging of and with help" from Muse, filed false claims in various ways, the indictment said.
Co-conspiring farmers profited under the scheme because they were paid twice for each pound of tobacco: once through the false crop insurance claim and also through the sale of unreported hidden tobacco, the indictment said.
Muse profited by collecting the original insurance commission, by retaining and expanding the business of her crop insurance clients and by securing business for the tobacco warehouse.
Muse pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a grower, identified only by the initials "B.O.," with making a false statement. A false sales bill showed that B.O. sold 2,472 pounds of tobacco at auction on
The amount of restitution Muse will pay will be determined at sentencing or at a hearing, the plea agreement says.
Muse's indictment and plea are the first since a federal investigation into crop insurance fraud became public in
Last month a
It's unclear whether Muse was tied to Jolly. She is not named in his indictment, and the farmers mentioned in her indictment were identified only by the initials J.H., R.M. and
Assistant
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