Nashville Tractor owner Rickey Carter, 60, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Macon to one count of bank fraud, reports the Miami Herald. In total, three banks, SBA and manufacturing finance divisions lost $6.4 million. According to the article,
Carter agreed to plead guilty to a criminal charge without being indicted. The charge says Carter took out a $5 million loan from Farmers and Merchants Bank in Lakeland in 2016 that was backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. He also agreed to a $625,000 line of credit. Carter admitted he falsified financial statements in order to obtain the loan for his financially troubled tractor dealership.
He also admitted to selling 88 pieces of equipment worth more than $1.5 million that Nashville Tractor held in trust for CNH Industrial, the manufacturer of New Holland tractors; and other equipment that he held in trust for Kubota, without notifying the manufacturers. Carter then used the cash to pay Nashville Tractor’s debts. Carter also forged sale and lease contracts for 33 pieces of New Holland equipment, improperly receiving $1.25 million and then improperly selling the equipment to others without telling CNH.
Find the full report here.