In yet another disgraceful case of federal corruption, a former United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) official has pleaded guilty to a years-long kickback scheme that bilked taxpayers out of nearly $400,000.
Kirk Perry, 60, of Lorain, Ohio, who once held a position of trust as a USDA Program Director, admitted in court to conspiring with his nephew, Jamarea Grant, 31, to defraud the federal government by submitting fraudulent invoices for work that was never done.
The scam ran unchecked from 2015 through 2022, even as Perry enjoyed the benefits of his federal post, quietly funneling money into his own pockets and betraying the public trust.
According to Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin and Special Agent in Charge Jeldrys Lowry of the USDA’s Office of Inspector General, Perry orchestrated a scheme in which his nephew was placed in a no-show job through USDA contractors, reporting directly to Perry himself. Grant received nearly $400,000 for work he never performed — with Perry signing off on it all.
Even more brazen, Perry had direct access to his nephew’s bank account and siphoned off about $125,000 of the stolen funds into his own pocket.
Perry pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud. Grant had already pleaded guilty to the same charge last November. Perry now awaits sentencing on December 4, 2025, while Grant’s sentence is pending.
The Department of Justice confirmed that both men face up to 20 years in federal prison for their crimes.
Former USDA Program Director Pleads Guilty in $400,000 Kickback Scheme https://t.co/Pwqf7AxYMr@USAEdMartin @OIGUSDA pic.twitter.com/64YoBfRJGR
— U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) April 29, 2025
The post Former USDA Program Director Pleads Guilty in $400,000 Kickback Scheme — Faces Prison for Corruption and Abuse of Public Office appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.