Federal jury convicts brothers in $240 million cattle investment fraud scheme

A federal jury in Fort Worth has convicted brothers Joshua Robert Link and Jason Allen Link for their roles in a $240 million cattle investment fraud scheme operated through Fort Worth-based Agridime LLC.

Convictions and charges

Following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman, jurors convicted Joshua Link of two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. Jason Link was convicted of one count of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering.

The scheme

Between January 2021 and December 2023, Agridime collected more than $240 million from more than 2,200 investors across the country. Investors were offered the chance to buy individual steers or heifers for $2,000 each, with promises that funds would be used to purchase, raise, process and sell specific cattle.

Prosecutors said Agridime sold contracts for approximately 60,000 more head of cattle than it possessed in its inventory and used new investor money to pay operating expenses, loans and returns to earlier investors.

Personal spending

Prosecutors said the brothers caused Agridime to pay more than $2.7 million to Shady Brook Ranch, an entity controlled by Jason Link, for services that were never rendered, even though another company had already supplied and been paid for the cattle feed.

Bank records showed proceeds funded personal purchases, including $1,498,275 to construct a five-bedroom, four-bathroom "barndominium" recreational residence in Herington, Kansas, and $24,838 to purchase a 2006 Hummer H2.

Sentencing and co-defendants

Four co-defendants—Jed Wood, Tia Link, Taylor Bang and Royana Thomas—entered guilty pleas before trial. Joshua and Jason Link each face up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud and conspiracy count and up to 10 years for each money laundering count. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2027.

Why it matters

The case involved more than 2,200 investors nationwide and more than $240 million collected through fraudulent cattle contract representations. The FBI’s Fort Worth Resident Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

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Sources

• kera.org: Federal jury convicts brothers in $240 million cattle investment scheme | KERA
• fox4news.com: Federal jury convicts two brothers in $240 million Fort Worth cattle Ponzi scheme | FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
• dallasexpress.com: Ft. Worth Brothers Convicted In $240M Cattle Fraud
• gazettengr.com: Brothers convicted in $240 million cattle investment fraud scamming 2,200 U.S. investors

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.