Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
An Iowa farmer has pleaded guilty to several federal charges after admitting to defrauding the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) out of more than $1.5 million in COVID-19 pandemic subsidies, as well as committing identity theft, crop insurance fraud, and stalking a witness.
Tanner James Seuntjens, 32, from Danbury, Iowa, entered his plea on September 19, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. He was convicted of one count each of theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, crop insurance fraud, and stalking.
According to a plea agreement, Seuntjens admitted that between June 2020 and June 2021 he submitted fraudulent applications for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) grants at three USDA-Farm Service Agency offices in Iowa. The applications were made in his own name as well as under another individual's name and a limited liability company. Each application falsely claimed ownership of thousands of swine to qualify for livestock subsidies based on self-certified inventory. Seuntjens also admitted submitting false documents during USDA spot checks intended to verify the legitimacy of the payments.
The plea agreement further states that from March 2021 through April 2022 Seuntjens defrauded a South Dakota bank by forging an authorized representative's signature on two-party checks issued for grain and livestock sales. These actions deprived the bank of over $400,000 in collateral. The funds were used for farming expenses, personal travel including trips to Cocoa Beach and Disney World, transfers to family members, and large cash withdrawals.
Seuntjens also acknowledged underreporting crop yields during the 2022 and 2023 seasons to receive crop insurance payments he was not entitled to receive. Crop insurance is a federally subsidized program designed to compensate farmers for losses due to adverse conditions or price declines.
Additionally, Seuntjens admitted he stalked a victim who was also a witness in his federal case despite court orders prohibiting contact with this individual. In August 2025 while on pretrial release, he traveled to the person’s workplace in Nebraska and placed a tracking device on their car with intent to harass and intimidate them.
Sentencing will be scheduled after completion of a presentence report before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Seuntjens remains in custody following violations of pretrial release conditions. He faces at least three years’ imprisonment without parole but could serve up to 42 years along with fines totaling $1.75 million; supervised release may be imposed for up to five years after imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek is prosecuting the case which was investigated by the USDA Office of Inspector General and Special Investigations Staff.
