Columbus Co. man pleads guilty to crop insurance fraud charges
Posted: August 04, 2015
Milton Russ Barnhill (Source: Columbus Co. Sheriff's Office)
A Columbus County man pleaded guilty in federal court on multiple charges related to crop insurance fraud.
According to a news release, Milton Russ Barnhill, 47, pleaded guilty to nearly 20 charges including conspiracy to defraud the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and the Farm Service Agency, falsifying, and aiding and abetting others to falsify insurance claims, and mail fraud.
Investigators say Barnhill produced crops, which he sold in the names of others, and he, along with others, filed claims that the crops were lost due to natural disasters. Barnhill also placed crops and insurance policies in the names of others to boost the amount of money he could collect, investigators say.
Barnhill allegedly received over $1 million due to the falsified claims.
Barnhill was also charged with mail fraud after collecting approximately $450,000 from Horry County State Bank in bogus loans.
Investigators say he supplied a fictitious tobacco sales contract as collateral for a farm operating loan. He then used the money to fund the ongoing production of crops in the names of his co-conspirators.
Barnhill faces a maximum of 355 years in prison.