An Alabama farmer has been accused of participating in a wide-ranging crop insurance scam, and federal authorities are seeking nearly $1 million in restitution if he is convicted.
Prosecutors said that Dexter Day Gilbert, of Wiregrass, Ala., received funds from the federal Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program to which he wasn’t legally entitled, according to a report by The Dothan Eagle.
According to court documents, authorities believe that Gilbert wasn’t alone in the scheme. Information filed in federal court alleged that Gilbert was both “aiding and abetting another” and was “aided and abetted by another” in the scam. The government is asking for a forfeiture of $919,551 if Gilbert is convicted, the Eagle reported.
The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance program provides financial assistance to farmers who produce non-insurable crops when a natural disaster results in low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting, according to the Eagle.
