An Iowa farmer who defrauded federal taxpayers out of more than $1.7 million in agricultural subsidies, stole multiple identities, and stalked a witness, was sentenced today to 13 years in federal prison.

Tanner James Seuntjens, age 33, from Danbury, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty on September 19, 2025, to one count of theft of government funds, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of crop insurance fraud, and one count of stalking.

Evidence in Seuntjens' cases established that, between June 2020 and June 2021, he was a Western Iowa farmer who defrauded the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA") out of more than $1.5 million in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program ("CFAP") grant moneys. Livestock producers qualified for CFAP subsidies on a per head basis that depended upon the producer's self-certified livestock inventory. Seuntjens filed CFAP applications at three Iowa county USDA-Farm Service Agency ("FSA") offices that each falsely claimed ownership of thousands of swine. Seuntjens forged the signatures of two other people when filing the applications with USDA. Seuntjens later submitted false documents to USDA-FSA county commissioners who were attempting to verify the USDA payments during so-called "spot checks."

From March 2021 through April 2022, Seuntjens defrauded a South Dakota bank. Seuntjens borrowed funds from the bank as early as 2014 and pledged his accounts receivable as collateral, which included payments from the sales of grain and livestock. As a result, when Seuntjens sold grain and livestock at a cooperative and an auction, the bank required the cooperative and auction to issue two-party checks to Seuntjens and the bank. Seuntjens forged an authorized representative of the bank's signature on two-party checks at least 20 times and. He deprived the bank of more than $400,000 of its collateral. Seuntjens spent the diverted funds on a combination of farming expenditures, a trip to Cocoa Beach and Disney World, transfers to family members, and large cash withdrawals.

Seuntjens committed crop insurance fraud in 2022 and 2023. Crop insurance is a federally subsidized program where farmers may receive payment from an authorized insurer in the event of adverse weather, fire, disease, or price declines. Seuntjens admitted he repeatedly underreported his crop yields during the 2022 and 2023 crop seasons and received crop insurance funds to which he was not entitled. Seuntjens stole an additional $175,000 from federal taxpayers through this crop insurance fraud.

In 2023 and 2024, Seuntjens defrauded multiple agricultural suppliers by selling their collateral out of trust. He also sold livestock and grain in a third party's name to avoid creditors' liens and judgments.

Seuntjens stalked one of the victims of his agricultural fraud case, even though there were no contact orders forbidding him from having contact with that witness. In an unrelated state court case, the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County had found that Seuntjens had assaulted the witness and planted a tracking device on a minor. The Iowa District Court stated the court was "deeply concerned" about the safety of minors if Seuntjens were allowed to have contact with them and issued a no contact order. In August 2025, while the Iowa District Court's no contact order was in effect, and while Seuntjens also was on federal pretrial release, Seuntjens travelled to Nebraska and placed a tracking device on the witness's car. Seuntjens admitted he did so with the intent to harass and intimidate the witness and to place the person under surveillance.

A federal judge detained Seuntjens for his stalking activity, and the U.S. Marshal held Seuntjens in custody at a local jail. While in jail in late 2025, however, Seuntjens repeatedly contacted the minors. The Iowa District Court found in March 2026 found Seuntjens in contempt of court.

Seuntjens has a significant criminal history involving fraud and violence. In 2020, Seuntjens received a deferred judgment for a felony second-degree theft conviction. In 2023, Seuntjens was convicted of third-degree theft and fined after he presented the state court with a bad check to "pay" his restitution obligations in the prior second-degree theft case. In 2024 and 2025, Seuntjens received three additional fines from the state court after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct in three separate cases. Seuntjens received those fines after he put his hands on the victim's throat causing fingernail markings on both sides of the victim's neck. He also pushed his victim into a counter, followed the victim around town, called the victim from a blocked number, and violated a protective order.

Seuntjens was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Seuntjens was sentenced to 156 months' imprisonment. He was ordered to make $1,704,434.74 in restitution to the USDA. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Seuntjens is being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Vavricek and Shawn Wehde and investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and Special Investigations Staff.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file numbers are 25-CR-4026 and 25-CR-4052.

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