news-record.com

A 53-year-old man has pleaded guilty in connection with a fraud case involving the Federal Crop Insurance Program, a news release from U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Walker said.

Steven M. Hardwick, who has addresses in Clarendon in Columbus County and in Nichols, S.C., pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to make false statements, making false statements, committing mail fraud and wire fraud, and aiding and abetting the making of false statements in connection with the crop insurance program, according to the release. Sentencing is scheduled for April 16, and Hardwick faces up to 35 years in prison.

Others under investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Internal Revenue Service in the case have not been publicly identified.

Walker, in the news release, referred to an "unnamed farmer" who "devised the scheme to defraud the government and recruited Hardwick and others" as part of the fraud.

Hardwick, who owned a tree spraying and planting business, obtained crop insurance policies in his name for tobacco, soybean and peanut crops he never grew, Walker said.

Hardwick, and other farmers, obtained the policies without engaging in farming from September 2006 through June 2010, Walker said.

Hardwick and other farmers also secured flue-cured marketing agreements in their names, though they did not produce a crop, Walker said. They profited because they were paid for the use of their names on the contracts.