FRESNO – Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced on April 28 that Jatinderjeet “Jyoti” Sihota, 40, of Selma, has received sentencing for conspiring to commit crop insurance fraud.
According to court records, the Fresno County farmer conspired with packing company member and manager Ralph Hackett, 69, of Clovis, to rake in more than $650,000 of illegitimate crop insurance payments. Sihota’s farming operation produced table grapes and other crops in Fresno and Tulare counties for many years, selling the crops through the company that Hackett worked for.
Further, emails and other evidence revealed that Sihota pleaded with Hackett to alter documents, in order to underreport the amount of crops being sold to give the impression that the operation was struggling. Sihota went as far as giving specific alterations to make, and instructed Hackett to keep it all a secret. Sihota reached out to other fruit brokers to try and set up a similar arrangement, but all refused.
Hackett was charged separately for his role in the fraud and has pleaded guilty. He is scheduled for sentencing on May 27, and faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in a federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was the culmination of investigative efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and Risk Management Agency Special Investigations staff. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton.
