Former USDA Employee Sentenced for $400,000 Kickback Scheme
A former USDA employee from Lorain has been sentenced to two years in prison for orchestrating a $400,000 kickback scheme that secured a no-show job for his nephew with federal contractors.
Cleveland Akron, OH, August 7, 2026 —
A former employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) based in Lorain has been sentenced to two years in federal prison. The sentence stems from a kickback scheme that involved approximately $400,000 and facilitated a no-show job for the employee’s nephew with federal contractors.
The scheme, orchestrated by the former USDA employee, involved diverting funds through federal contractors. These funds were intended to compensate for work that was never performed by the nephew, who was placed in a ‘no-show’ position. The total amount involved in the fraudulent activity reached an estimated $400,000.
Details regarding the specific federal contractors involved in the scheme were not immediately available. The sentencing follows an investigation into the financial dealings and employment arrangements connected to the USDA employee and his nephew.
The U.S. Department of Justice has not released further information concerning the specific charges that led to the conviction or the exact nature of the no-show job. The investigation concluded with the sentencing of the former USDA employee to two years of incarceration.
Story summarized from the original created by Adam Ferrise on www.cleveland.com, see more information here.
