A Georgetown, Kentucky man, Robert Conley, 71, has pleaded guilty to making a false claim to obtain COVID relief funds. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 created several programs funded by the federal government and administered by state agencies. One such program was the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provided financial assistance to farmers and ranchers affected by the pandemic. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency managed this program.
Conley, a cattle buyer and seller in Georgetown and part owner of Paris Stockyards in Paris, Kentucky, admitted to filing two CFAP applications on May 26 and September 29, 2020. He also directed four individuals to submit false CFAP applications claiming ownership of his cattle. These individuals received $1,206,539.80 in CFAP funds which they returned to Conley.
Additionally, Conley submitted three false applications under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), resulting in an additional $72,660 obtained fraudulently.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Janet M. Sorensen from the USDA Office of Inspector General; and Karen Wingerd from IRS-Criminal Investigations announced the guilty plea together.
The investigation was conducted by USDA-OIG and IRS with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Smith prosecuting the case.
Conley's sentencing is scheduled for October 9, 2025. He faces up to five years in prison but will be sentenced according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and federal statutes.
In response to pandemic-related frauds like this one, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force on May 17, 2021. This task force works with various agencies to combat fraud related to pandemic relief efforts.
Reports of attempted COVID-19 fraud can be made through the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or their web complaint form.
