Coroner: Leader of large organic food scheme dies by suicide

(AP) – A coroner says a Missouri man blamed for running the largest organic food fraud scheme in U.S. history has died by suicide, days after he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.

Livingston County Coroner Scott Lindley on Tuesday confirmed the death of Randy Constant in Chillicothe, Missouri. He said Constant died from “a self-inflicted situation” and said more details would be released soon.

A federal judge sentenced Constant to 122 months in prison at a hearing on Friday for leading what prosecutors dubbed the “field of schemes fraud.” Constant was planning to report to prison in coming weeks after the Bureau of Prisons decided where to place him.

Prosecutors say that Constant falsely marketed non-organic corn and soybeans certified organic on a massive scale from 2010 to 2017.