Joshua Robert Link and Jason Allen Link were found guilty on Nov. 10 of multiple counts of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas. The charges stem from their operation of Agridime LLC, a Fort Worth-based company that promised investors profits from cattle raised and sold as beef.

Agridime advertised online, offering customers the chance to buy a single steer or heifer for $2,000. Investors were told their money would be used to purchase, raise, and process specific animals, and that they would recoup their principal plus a profit from meat sales. Instead, prosecutors said, the company sold contracts for roughly 60,000 more cattle than it actually controlled and used new investors' funds to pay earlier customers and cover operating expenses—the hallmark of a Ponzi scheme. The fraud ran from January 2021 through December 2023.

"This was a massive fraud that victimized thousands of hardworking people who thought they were making a safe investment," said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton in a statement. "The defendants used the promise of cattle and profits to line their own pockets, and now they will be held accountable."

In a separate scheme, the brothers also diverted millions from Agridime itself. Joshua Link, a co-owner and executive director, and Jason Link, who owned Shady Brook Ranch LLC in Kansas and served as a livestock broker and meat chain director for Agridime, arranged for the company to pay Shady Brook for feeding and caring for cattle—services that another company had already provided and been paid for. Prosecutors said the fraudulent payment requests caused Agridime to pay more than $2.7 million to Jason Link's business for work it never performed.

Bank records showed that some of that money funded personal expenses, including nearly $1.5 million paid to a construction company to build a luxury five-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Herington, Kansas. The funds also purchased a 2006 Hummer H2 for about $24,800 and paid for other property improvements.

Four other Agridime employees pleaded guilty before the brothers' trial: operations director Jed Hansel Wood, marketing director Tia Makenzie Link, cattle broker Taylor Orris Bang, and financial controller Royana Jane Thomas. Court records revealed that executives and brokers received millions in salaries and commissions while the scheme operated. From 2022 through 2023, Joshua and Tia Link received more than $2.7 million combined, while Wood received over $2.4 million.

Joshua Link was convicted of two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, and two counts of money laundering. Jason Link was convicted of one count of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, and two counts of money laundering. Each wire fraud and conspiracy count carries up to 20 years in federal prison, and each money laundering count carries up to 10 years. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2027.

The case highlights the dangers of unregulated investment schemes that prey on trust and the promise of agricultural returns. For North Texas, it serves as a stark reminder of the need for vigilance when investing in commodities, especially when offers seem too good to be true.