Farm Machinery Fraud Case Brings 17 Felony Charges Against Former Indiana Equipment Salesman

Dustin Echelbarger, a former salesman for TTG/Truland Equipment in Swayzee, Indiana, was charged June 11 with 17 felony counts involving alleged corrupt business influence, fraud, and forgery in connection with sales of farm machinery. 

According to an affidavit filed by the Grant County, Indiana prosecutor’s office seeking Echelbarger’s arrest, “From January 2023 through September of 2024, Echelbarger conducted approximately eight fraudulent transactions for his own personal financial gain.”

“Dustin was interviewed by law enforcement,” the document said. “Eventually Dustin agreed with investigators [sic] theory that he was using money from these transactions to attempt to pay other bills and debts he owed and that it spiraled into a bigger problem. Dustin confirmed that he had fabricated equipment and transactions because he needed the money.” 

Prosecutors allege that throughout those eight transactions, “Dustin has forged signatures on checks or purchase orders 17 times; has created fraudulent purchase orders 14 times; and has violated the Corrupt Business Indiana Criminal Code 8 times.”

On June 11, Grant County Superior Court 3 Judge Jason D. McVicker approved issuing an arrest warrant for Echelbarger and set bail at $30,000. Echelbarger was arrested and has since been released on bail.

All charges are either Level 5 or Level 6 felonies. Under Indiana law, conviction of a Level 5 felony carries a maximum prison sentence of six years. Level 6 felonies can bring up to 2 ½ years.

Echelbarger is presumed innocent unless found guilty of any of these charges. Echelbarger and his lawyer haven’t responded after attempts to reach them for comment.

Background

In March 2022, Dustin Echelbarger suggested a formal business partnership with Greentown, Indiana, farmer Justin Hannah, according to Justin. Justin and his wife, Kim, contributed $125,000 of their own equipment as an investment in Echelbarger Hay, LLC.

The beginning of the end of Echelbarger Hay, LLC landed as a letter at the Hannahs’ farm early last September. It was from John Deere Financial. 

“I called John Deere Financial because it had Justin’s name on it,” Kim said. The woman who answered described a lien, an unpaid loan, on a tractor the Hannahs no longer owned. 

According to the Hannahs, without telling Justin, Echelbarger had sold that tractor to another farmer. It had a loan on it in Justin’s name that was still unpaid. Using Justin’s Social Security number, Kim says the John Deere Financial staffer found more unpaid loans in either Echelbarger Hay or Justin’s name — a total of 28. The Hannahs suddenly faced more than a million dollars in debt, mainly held by the hay business. 

Alleged Fraudulent Equipment Transactions

Many of the affidavit’s alleged fraudulent transactions involved the Hannahs or Echelbarger Hay, LLC. Here is a summary of those transactions. All quotes come directly from the affidavit. 

1. This is a complex 2023 sale and resale of equipment owned by Echelbarger’s former business partner in Echelbarger Hay, LLC, Justin Hannah. Echelbarger allegedly sold two pieces of Justin’s equipment back to TTG Equipment, without Justin’s knowledge or permission, for $38,879.26. Justin’s name was forged on the purchase order. Echelbarger later sold the equipment and a third piece of equipment back to Echelbarger Hay. “This resulted in a total balance of $60,566.49, which was taken out as a loan.” Another loan was taken out in Justin’s name without his knowledge for a third piece of equipment for $60,500. Later, Echelbarger sold the three pieces of equipment to three different farmers “with each piece of equipment [still] having payments owed to John Deere and a lien has been placed on the equipment.” Justin has an unpaid loan on a fraudulent purchase of machinery. “TTG Equipment [Truland] has lost money from the unpaid loans.” 
2. In March 2023, allegedly with forged checks and documents, Echelbarger facilitated TTG Equipment buying a 2010 John Deere 7330 tractor from VK Kendall Farm, Inc., then selling it to Justin. “The Kendall brothers [Lee and Russell] confirmed that they have never owned a 2010 John Deere 7330, so therefore they could not have sold it to TTG Equipment. Justin confirmed that he has never purchased a 2010 John Deere 7330 from TTG. Further investigation revealed that the 2010 John Deere 7330 is actually owned by Michael Lawyer. Michael stated that Dustin approached him about trading this tractor in on a new model, but that he wasn’t interested.” 
3. In July 2023, the dealership paid $46,300 for a grain cart sold by Justin, with Echelbarger depositing the check in the Echelbager Hay account. “Neither Justin [Hannah] nor TTG know anything about the … grain cart and it is believed that it was fabricated and only exists on the purchase orders and sales documents.”
4. Also in July 2023, TTG paid almost $73,000 for a 2016 New Holland 340 baler sold by Justin. Echelbarger allegedly forged Justin’s signature and deposited the check into the Echelbarger Hay account. “Neither Justin nor TTG know anything about this piece of equipment. New Holland was contacted and advised that the serial number given on the purchase order [is] invalid. It is believed that the 2016 New Holland 340 is fabricated and doesn’t exist.”
5. In November 2023, Echelbarger allegedly facilitated the sale of a 1999 John Deere 8200 tractor to Monroe Construction Group, LLC by VK Kendall Farms for $90,000. This charge said Echelbarger forged the Kendall brothers’ signatures and deposited the check into an E&K Farms, LLC account. The brothers said they never agreed to sell the tractor and never saw the check. “The Monroe’s [sic] advised that the deal was brokered by Dustin only, that they never spoke with the Kendall’s [sic], and that they have never received the piece of equipment and are out the $90,000.”
6. In November 2023, TTG paid Justin $237,000 for two tractors and a drill. “Justin advised that he never owned the three pieces of equipment that were ‘sold’ to Truland. Further investigation revealed that the three pieces of equipment were involved in previous transactions by Dustin, and then re-used in fraudulent transactions for Dustin’s financial gain.”
7. In December 2023, TTG wrote a check for $160,822.91 to Kendall Farms for several pieces of equipment. The Kendall brothers told the investigator they never owned all but one piece of equipment and never received a check. 
8. In September 2024, William Hamstra paid Echelbarger Hay $49,000 for a 2004 John Deere 6420 tractor but was contacted by TTG and told there was a lien on the tractor in Justin’s name for $40,149. “William paid the additional amount of money to satisfy the lien in order to keep the equipment. Further investigation revealed that Justin’s forged signature was on the purchase order for the [tractor] on December 16, 2022. Dustin’s name is listed as the salesperson on the forged purchase order.”