United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS FARMER
ON CROP INSURANCE FRAUD CHARGES

Wendell Mints Faces Up to 125 Years in Federal Prison

United States Attorney Jane J. Boyle announced that a federal jury in Wichita Falls, Texas, convicted Wendell Lynn Mints, on all counts of all 25 counts of an indictment that charged him with one count of conspiracy to submit false claims and false statements to the Department of Agriculture, nine counts of making false claims to the government regarding the submission of false crop insurance claims; nine counts of making false statements to the government; and six counts of making false statements to the Department of Agriculture during the course of the investigation. The jury deliberated just under eight hours following the one-week trial that was presided over by the Honorable United States District Judge David C. Godbey. Mints, age 65, faces a maximum statutory sentence of 125 years imprisonment, a $6.25 million fine, and restitution to be paid not only for the crop claims in Wilbarger County, but also for the crop claims in neighboring Foard County. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

The government presented evidence at trial that Mints operated an elaborate scheme in which he "worked the system" to falsify crop insurance loss documents and collected insurance money for thousands of acres of cotton and wheat sorghum fields he did not plant. Evidence at trial showed that Mints' fraud cost the government more than $500,000.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency employees in Wilbarger County testified that inconsistent statements Mints made in documents he submitted to their office caused them to physically inspect his fields. They testified that they found no evidence that Mints had planted cotton or wheat grain sorghum, as he had claimed. This initiated the investigation by law enforcement officials.

An expert in satellite imagery testified that infrared satellite photos taken of Wilbarger County by U.S. Land Sat indicated that the condition of the fields, and crops growing on them, were inconsistent with Mints' claims that he had planted cotton and grain sorghum. Evidence was also presented that during the investigation, when Mints was asked to provide receipts indicating that he had actually purchased seed to plant the crops, he went to a seed dealer and had that seed dealer prepare false and fictitious receipts for Mints to reflect bogus sales.

U.S. Attorney Boyle praised the investigative efforts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Risk Management Agency; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency in Vernon, Texas. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shane Read and Phillip C. Umphres.

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