Black Diamond Dog Kennel Owner Enters Guilty Plea For Making False Statements

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - Gerhard L. Felts, aka Gary Felts, age 61, from Kingsley, Iowa, pled guilty on July 13, 2016 to one count of making false statements to the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. The charges are contained in an Indictment unsealed on June 6, 2016, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.

The United States obtained a civil judgment against Gary Felts dba Black Diamond Kennel, based upon the conditions of his dog kennel.  Felts repeatedly provided false financial information to the United States in connection with the United States’ efforts to collect the debt.  In doing so, Felts failed to disclose a checking account opened in April 2011, a savings account opened in April 2013, and his receipt of workers compensation payments in the amount of $25,000 in April 2013.         

Felts faces a maximum penalty of (1) not more than 5 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole; (2) a fine of not more than $250,000; (3) a mandatory special assessment of $100; and (4) a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole and was investigated by U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 16-cr-49.

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