Attorney General Marty Jackley and Kingsbury County States Attorney Gregg Gass announced today that a Kingsbury County Grand Jury has indicted four owners, officers or managers of H & I Grain of Hetland, Inc. for felonies relating to the H & I’s alleged failure to pay for grain delivered to their elevators by local farmers.
The four individuals are:
Duane Jens Steffensen, 67, Hetland
• one count of conspiracy to fail to notify the Public Utilities Commission of H & I Grain of Hetland Inc.’s financial status, causing financial harm to a grain supplier, class 6 felony, punishable by up to one year in the state penitentiary and/or $2,000 fine
• fifteen counts of failure to notify the Public Utilities Commission of H & I Grain of Hetland Inc.’s Financial Status, causing financial harm to grain supplier, class 6 felony, punishable by up to two years in the state penitentiary and/or $4,000 fine
• one count of theft by deception, class 2 felony, punishable by up to 25 years in the state penitentiary and/or $50,000 fine
• one count of theft by deception, class 3 felony, punishable by up to 15 years in the state penitentiary and/or $30,000 fine
• one count of theft by deception, class 4 felony, punishable by up to 10 years in the state penitentiary and/or $20,000 fine
JoAnn Marie Steffensen, 66, Hetland
• one count of conspiracy to fail to notify the Public Utilities Commission of H & I Grain of Hetland Inc.’s financial status, causing financial harm to a grain supplier, class 6 felony, punishable by up to one year in the state penitentiary and/or $2,000 fine
• fifteen counts of failure to notify the Public Utilities Commission of H & I Grain of Hetland Inc.’s Financial Status, causing financial harm to grain supplier, class 6 felony, punishable by up to two years in the state penitentiary and/or $4,000 fine
Jared Duane Steffensen, 37, Arlington
• one count of conspiracy to fail to notify the Public Utilities Commission of H & I Grain of Hetland Inc.’s financial status, causing financial harm to grain supplier, class 6 felony, punishable by up to one year in the state penitentiary and/or $2,000 fine
• fifteen counts of failure to notify the Public Utilities Commission of H & I Grain of Hetland Inc.’s Financial Status, causing financial harm to grain supplier, class 6 felony, punishable by up to two years in the state penitentiary and/or $4,000 fine
• one count of theft by deception, class 2 felony, punishable by up to 25 years in the state penitentiary and/or $50,000 fine
Tami Faye Steffensen, 34, Arlington
• one count of conspiracy to fail to notify the Public Utilities Commission of H & I Grain of Hetland Inc.’s financial status, causing financial harm to grain supplier, class 6 felony, punishable by up to one year in the state penitentiary and/or $2,000 fine
• fifteen counts of failure to notify the Public Utilities Commission of H & I Grain of Hetland Inc.’s Financial Status, causing financial harm to grain supplier, class 6 felony, punishable by up to two years in the state penitentiary and/or $2,000 fine
• one count of theft by deception, class 2 felony, punishable by up to 25 years in the state penitentiary and/or $50,000 fine
• two counts of theft by deception, class 3 felony, punishable by up to 15 years in the state penitentiary and/ or $30,000 fine
• one count of theft by deception, class 4 felony, punishable by up to 10 years in the state penitentiary and/ or $25,000 fine
Initial Appearance dates for defendants has not yet been set.