A federal US District court judge has handed out the penalty for a 64 year old Sioux Falls man convicted of Wire Fraud.
Dallas Harkness must spend 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, pay restitution in the amount of $738,557.34 to Hoegemeyer Hybrids (formerly Curry Seed Company), and pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
The conviction stemmed from a wire fraud scheme that began on or about January 2010 and continued through September 25, 2018. Harkness was a sales manager for Curry Seed Company located in Elk Point. On multiple occasions during the course of the scheme, Harkness received checks from Curry Seed customers as payment or pre-payment for seed. Instead of sending the checks to Curry Seed for deposit, Harkness falsely and fraudulently deposited some of those customer checks into checking accounts he controlled. Harkness then used the funds for his purposes.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
Harkness has been allowed to self-surrender by today (Oct. 12, 2021).
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