Court Rules North Dakota Farm Fraudster Entitled to Benefit

North Dakota’s Supreme Court says an insurance agent who was convicted of running a federal farm payment scam is entitled to some retirement money.

Duane Huber of Wimbledon contended North Dakota Farmers Union insurance companies owed him a $34,000 annuity for his insurance sales during 2002.

Farmers Union argued it didn’t owe the money because Huber’s insurance license was suspended in December 2002. Huber was convicted the month before of federal charges of fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and making false statements. He was accused of running sham farms to avoid federal farm program payment limits.

The court ruled Huber is owed the money because Farmers Union wasn’t able to fire him until January 2003, and his job agreement from the year before was still in effect.