BILLINGS — A Kansas resident has admitted to orchestrating a scheme that defrauded ranchers in Montana and Wyoming amid a drought-induced hay shortage. According to a press release from U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, Jory D. Parks, 43, from Logan, Kansas, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges.

Parks faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters will set a sentencing date. Meanwhile, Parks has been released pending further court proceedings.

Federal prosecutors detailed in court documents that the summer of 2021 brought severe drought conditions, leading to a hay shortage that severely affected ranchers in Montana and Wyoming. During this critical time, Parks devised a scheme to exploit the desperate need for hay. He advertised large quantities of hay for sale on Facebook, claiming he could deliver it to Montana and Wyoming from out of state.

Operating under the name Heart Cross Ranch, LLC, Parks received payments from customers for promised hay deliveries. Instead of fulfilling these orders, he diverted the funds for personal and unrelated business expenses, misleading customers about his business operations and the availability of hay.

In one notable instance in September 2021, Parks attempted to convince a potential customer of his business’s legitimacy by falsely claiming he had previously sold hay to a well-known horse racing facility in Nebraska. An FBI investigation, which included interviewing the facility’s CEO and analyzing Parks’ financial records, revealed these statements to be fraudulent.

One of the victims, a ranching business owned by a couple in Ingomar, Montana, responded to Parks’ Facebook advertisement. He offered hay at a price lower than what they could find elsewhere. They entered into a contract to purchase 190 tons of hay for $43,300 and sent a down payment of $21,650 to Heart Cross Ranch. Parks deposited this check into his business account in Colorado. Although he delivered an initial shipment of 23 tons, he never provided the remaining hay nor returned the rest of the down payment.

Parks’ fraudulent activities underscore the vulnerabilities faced by ranchers during periods of environmental stress and highlight the importance of verifying the legitimacy of sellers in critical supply chains.