ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO) – A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to a scheme involving selling non-GMO products as organic and defrauding buyers out of millions of dollars.
According to court documents, 65-year-old James Wolf of Cotton County was an organic farmer who admitted to buying conventional grains from a supplier and reselling them labeled as organic between 2013 and 2021.
Organic crops are grown from non-GMO seeds and without chemicals or fertilizers. While the grain Wolf was selling was non-GMO, it had been treated with fertilizers and pesticides.
Wolf made over $19 million from the scheme and used the money to buy real estate, vehicles, farm equipment, and make investments.
Another man, 45-year-old Adam Olson, was federally charged with helping Wolf sell the crops after Wolf’s organic farming certification was revoked in 2020.
