A Fresno County farmer is headed to prison for committing crop insurance fraud.
The big picture: Jatinderjeet “Jyoti” Sihota, 40, of Selma, was sentenced to one year in prison for conspiring to commit crop insurance fraud.
Driving the news: Sihota’s family farming operation produced table grapes and other crops in Fresno and Tulare counties for many years. They sold many of the crops through a fruit packing company where Ralph Hackett, 69, of Clovis, was a member and manager.
- Sihota became involved with her family’s farming operation in 2012.
- From 2012 through 2016, Sihota and Hackett carried out a fraud scheme to obtain over $650,000 in crop insurance payments that they were not entitled to. They altered records that reported the amount of crops the farming operation sold through the packing company to make it look as if they had suffered significant crop losses.
- Emails and other evidence presented in court showed that the fraud was Sihota’s idea. Sihota had asked other fruit brokers to commit the fraud with her, who all denied. She pleaded with Hackett and instructed him on the specifics.
What we’re watching: Hackett has been charged in a separate trial and has pleaded guilty to fraud.
- He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27 and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
