A California man was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $2 million in restitution for his role in a scheme in which $4.8 million worth of canola to be used in cattle feed was stolen.
Richard Best, 72, of Fresno, California, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on April 27, after pleading guilty in October 2025, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to court documents, from 2015 through 2017, Best and an accomplice, Shawn Sawa, 49, formerly of Clovis, California, stole $4.8 million worth of canola from international food processors. They then sold the canola for a windfall.
Sawa pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Dec. 8, 2025, to 18 months in prison.
Best and Sawa carried out the scheme through Best's now-defunct train-to-truck transloading company, Richard Best Transfer Inc. (RBT), according to the DOJ. The victim food processors sent hundreds of thousands of tons of their canola to RBT for delivery to their customers. Sawa was the Fresno area manager for one of the victim food processors from whom he and Best stole canola. Sawa initially received kickback payments from Best to try to increase the supply of canola that RBT received from that food processor before they began their scheme.
Best and Sawa sold the stolen canola through an acquaintance in Texas who used to work in the feed industry, the DOJ release said. The acquaintance sold the stolen canola to farms and dairies and distributed the proceeds according to Best's instructions. This included wire transfers to Best, RBT's bank accounts and Sawa. The account that Sawa used was opened in his spouse's name to try to conceal the scheme.
Throughout the scheme, Best and Sawa caused RBT to email fraudulent inventory reports to the victim food processors representing that RBT had certain amounts of their canola in stock when RBT actually had significantly lesser amounts. Best and Sawa used the proceeds from the scheme to purchase luxury homes and multiple vehicles, take trips, hire private karate teachers and cover RBT's operating expenses, among other expenses.
Shortly before the scheme was discovered, Best gave Sawa an old cellular phone that had belonged to Best's deceased mother. Best did so because he was afraid that the victim food processor for whom Sawa worked had become aware of the scheme and was monitoring communications on Sawa's company-issued devices. The two then used the old phone to secretly communicate with each other in furtherance of the scheme.
"Richard Best treated the agricultural supply chain as his personal inventory, stealing nearly $5 million worth of canola oil for his personal gain," said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. "Today's sentence sends a clear message that those who commit fraud in our agricultural markets will be found and prosecuted. We remain committed to protecting the integrity of our markets and the businesses that play by the rules."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody Chapple, Joseph Barton and Chan Hee Chu prosecuted the case.
