LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock lawyer has pleaded guilty to his 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. Everett Martindale, 75, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud this afternoon before Chief United States District Judge D. Price Marshall.
Martindale admitted in court today that he acted as the legal representative for claimants who filed false claims asserting they were discriminated against when they tried to get assistance from USDA for their farming operations. Martindale signed certifications that said he investigated the claims, when, in fact, he did not. The proceeds from the false claims were mailed to Martindale, and he took a portion of the money as an attorney’s fee. He also played an essential role in the process that allowed other defendants in the case to take a more substantial portion of the funds.
Martindale was the last defendant to enter a plea in the 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. Niki Charles, 49, who is the daughter of Lynda Charles, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiracy to commit mail fraud based on her role in notarizing affidavits that she knew to be...
A waste disposal company won dismissal of a False Claims Act suit alleging it improperly billed the federal and Montana governments for services it didn’t provide. Whistleblowers Max Bauer Jr. and...