A Two Thousand Dollar Nebraska Land Purchase Leads to a Federal Fraud Case
He did not offer his hand. He laid the envelope on the hood of the tractor, right next to my grease rag.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It is an emergency temporary injunction,” he said, pulling his leather gloves tight. “Halting all agricultural activity on these two hundred acres, effective immediately. There is a formal complaint about toxic chemical runoff into the southern creek.”
My hand went to my pocket, my palms dry and rough against my work trousers as I wiped them down.
“There is no chemical runoff,” I said. “I have not even turned the soil yet.”
“The filing says you have stored unregulated diesel fuel and unregistered fertilizers near the drainage ditch,” Reynolds said. “It has the county board signature on it.”
He turned back toward his vehicle, his heavy boots clicking on the concrete edge.
“Who filed the complaint, Reynolds?” I asked.
He stopped at the cab door and looked back, the morning light catching the gold badge on his chest.
“Meadowbrook Homeowners Association,” he said. “They have an engineering report from an independent firm.”
