The key witness against two North Dakota brothers accused of intentionally destroying potatoes to collect crop insurance payments is a convicted felon with no credibility, the men’s defense attorneys argued Thursday before jurors began deliberating whether they are guilty of defrauding the federal government out of about $2 million.
Aaron Johnson, 50, and Derek Johnson, 47, of the Cooperstown area, have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to receive illegal payments by intentionally damaging potatoes and giving false statements.