Kansas Cattleman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

KANSAS CITY, KS—Joseph C. Donohue, 70, Greeley, Kan., has pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch said today. He also agreed to a monetary forfeiture judgment of more than $9 million.

In his plea, Donohue admitted he provided false information to Lyons State Bank in order to obtain loans for purchasing and feeding cattle. In November 2007, Donohue signed a promissory note to the bank for more than $7.6 million. To secure the debt, he granted the bank an interest in all livestock he owned and he agreed to provide quarterly inventory reports on his cattle.

In September 2008 he provided the bank a financial statement claiming he had cattle inventory of more than $18.2 million when in fact value of the cattle was approximately $3 million. In an inventory report dated Oct. 31, 2008, he claimed to have 13,267 head of cattle. The bank determined there were only 650 head of cattle to secure the loan.

Donohue also obtained loans from other lenders based on false financial statements. Farmers and Merchants State Bank in West Pointe, Neb., loaned him more than $3.2 million and Farmers State Bank in Garnett, Kan., loaned him more than $1 million.

Sentencing is set for June 14, 2010. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. Welch commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.