A farmer from Decorah, Iowa, is accused of stealing enough corn and soybeans to fill nearly 25 tractor-trailer rigs — grain valued at over $175,000 — and hiding the income during an ongoing bankruptcy case, according to authorities in Winneshiek County.
According to reporting from The Gazette newspaper out of Cedar Rapids, Kurt Krauskopf, 47, turned himself into the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office on Monday after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Court records show he was released without posting a bond. Krauskopf faces charges including ongoing criminal conduct, a Class B felony; two counts of first-degree theft, Class C felonies; and one count of second-degree theft, a Class D felony.
The case centers on the 2022 harvest season. Multiple news sources report that officials from K&B Farms reported to law enforcement that Krauskopf, who had a partnership agreement with them to process corn and soybeans, removed a large amount of grain without their consent.
Investigators reviewed data from Krauskopf’s harvesting equipment, executed a search warrant at his property on October 30, and examined grain sale records. They said that they discovered Krauskopf had likely sold significantly more grain from K&B’s operation than he had disclosed.
In 2021, Krauskopf filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy, a program allowing family farmers to reorganize their debts. His filing listed nearly $971,000 in assets and over $3.7 million in liabilities. Several pieces of farming equipment had already been sold or repossessed, according to court documents.
Authorities said the investigation revealed that Krauskopf failed to report income from the unauthorized grain sales in the financial statements he submitted as part of his bankruptcy plan.
The criminal complaint states that Krauskopf intentionally excluded income from these sales in his bankruptcy court filings, showing he knew the grain was not his. It further alleges that he took corn and soybeans from storage bins without permission and sold them at grain elevators.
Authorities estimate that Krauskopf sold approximately 19.73 semi-truck loads of corn and 4.5 semi-truck loads of soybeans, generating over $175,000. Investigators also traced deposited checks tied to the sales, according to the complaint.
Although the arrest warrant specified a $50,000 bond, the court allowed Krauskopf to sign a release promising to appear at future hearings.
