LITTLE ROCK—An England, Arkansas woman has pleaded guilty to her involvement in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of more than $11.5 million that was intended to benefit farmers who had been discriminated against. Niki Charles, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud today before Chief United States District Judge D. Price Marshall.

Charles admitted in court today that she and others solicited people to file false claims asserting they were discriminated against when they tried to get assistance from USDA for their farming operations. Charles said she verified statements from corroborating witnesses who submitted affidavits to support the claims, but none of those witnesses actually appeared before Charles. Those actions resulted in $4.5 million in loss, an amount Charles agreed to repay.

Four other defendants, all of whom are sisters, have pleaded guilty in this case. Lynda Charles, 72, of Hot Springs; Rosie Bryant, 74, of Colleyville, Texas; Delois Bryant, 75, of North Little Rock; and Brenda Sherpell, 72, of Gainesville, Texas, each pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. A sixth defendant, Everett Martindale, worked as an attorney and acted as the legal representative for most of the claimants that the five women recruited. Martindale is set for trial on August 30, 2022.

The sisters also admitted that they hired a tax preparer to falsify tax returns, resulting...

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