Rancher's Manure Scam Lands Him in Prison

A Billings rancher, Gene John Klamert, has been sentenced to four years of probation, fined $35,000, and ordered to pay $143,714 in restitution for defrauding the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in a grazing fee scheme. Klamert admitted to lying about the ownership and number of cattle he was grazing on public land, avoiding required surcharges and underreporting the number of cattle. He submitted fake bills of sale and failed to report other people's cattle, resulting in a total fraud loss of $143,714.