Topeka ? An Oskaloosa man pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court to conspiring to defraud a cattle rancher in Jefferson County.

Jay A. Wagner, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and to engage in monetary transactions with funds derived from unlawful acts.

According to his plea, Wagner and an unindicted co-conspirator defrauded the owners of the 1,200-acre J Bar Ranch by:

¢ Creating counterfeit documents that fraudulently inflated the average weight and the price of cattle he purchased for the ranch, and to falsely certify that cattle had been checked by a veterinarian for pregnancy.

¢ Creating false invoices from trucking firms to certify he had purchased cattle for the ranch from a single location, as required by contract.

¢ Accepting payment from the ranch based on fraudulent claims and engaging in monetary transactions with the proceeds of the crime.

Wagner is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 7. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1 million.