In June 2025, Indiana State Police said former farm-equipment salesman Dustin Echelbarger had been arrested on 17 felony counts tied to alleged fraudulent equipment transactions. Farmers described unauthorized machinery sales, unexpected liens and loans they said they did not know about. Those are allegations and reported civil claims—not proof of criminal guilt. Successful Farming reported that Echelbarger was released on bail and presumed innocent unless found guilty; later case status should be checked through official court records.
What the June 2025 reports said
Successful Farming reported on June 13, 2025, that Echelbarger faced 17 felony counts related to alleged corrupt business influence, fraud and forgery. The companion feature described farmers’ accounts of equipment sales, loans and liens they said they had not authorized or known about. The criminal charges and individual accounts had not, in those reports, established guilt or resolved every civil claim.
According to the arrest affidavit quoted by Successful Farming, investigators alleged approximately eight fraudulent transactions from January 2023 through September 2024. The report quoted the affidavit as saying Echelbarger had fabricated equipment and transactions, and that money from the transactions was used in an attempt to pay other bills and debts. These are statements attributed to an affidavit, not findings of a criminal trial.
Indiana State Police, in an announcement reproduced by GIANT fm and cited by Successful Farming, said Echelbarger allegedly collected more than $750,000 through fabricated purchase orders and secured more than $650,000 in loans under local farmers’ names. Those figures describe police allegations, not final court-determined losses.
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What the Hannahs said they discovered
Kim and Justin Hannah, farmers near Greentown, Indiana, co-owned the custom hay business Echelbarger Hay with Echelbarger. In Successful Farming’s June 2025 account, Kim Hannah said a John Deere Financial notice led her to investigate a lien and unpaid loan on a tractor the couple no longer owned. “I called John Deere Financial because it had Justin’s name on it,” she told the publication.
The Hannahs said the tractor had been sold without Justin’s knowledge. They reported finding 28 unpaid loans in his name or the company’s name after searching in connection with his Social Security number. Successful Farming reported that they faced more than $1 million in debt, mainly held by the hay business.
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Justin Hannah’s October 2024 civil suit alleged that Echelbarger used his sales position to arrange fraudulent equipment loans and unauthorized sales. Successful Farming reported that a judge issued a preliminary injunction and wrote that Echelbarger had created fictitious loans and non-existent machinery, leaving Hannah and/or the company owing on dozens of loans “in the neighborhood of 1.9 million dollars.” That quoted language is from a civil order; it is not a criminal conviction.
The article also reported a court-approved partial settlement: the Hannahs received $75,000 from the sale of Echelbarger’s house, and Echelbarger was removed from the partnership. The business’s full financial condition was not yet known in that report.
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Other farmers’ reported experiences
- Lee Kendall said a John Deere 8200 tractor he had loaned to Echelbarger was later sold without permission. The reported buyers paid $90,000, and Kendall said he never received the check.
- Jack Polm said he paid about $40,000 for a used New Holland BB9060 baler and later learned it had a John Deere Financial lien attached.
- A farmer identified by Successful Farming under the pseudonym Amos Meister said he paid $90,000 toward a baler that never arrived.
These are accounts attributed to the individuals in the June 2025 feature. They should not be read as findings that every transaction was adjudicated or that every reported loss was finally determined.
Why the reported dollar figures are not one total
The coverage used several amounts with different sources and scopes. Successful Farming’s headline and deck characterized the delinquent machinery loans as more than $2 million; the Hannahs described 28 unpaid loans and more than $1 million in debt; the civil order, as quoted in the feature, referred to loans “in the neighborhood of 1.9 million dollars”; and police described alleged purchase-order collections and loans in separate figures. These amounts should not be added together or treated as one proven loss total.
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Successful Farming’s charge report and GIANT fm’s reproduction of the police announcement place the alleged $750,000-plus in collections and $650,000-plus in loans in the context of the investigation. Neither figure, on its own, establishes a final amount lost, recovered or owed by any particular farmer.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can farmers check liens on used farm equipment?
Attorney John Schwarz, II, Justin Hannah’s attorney, recommended checking equipment serial numbers, requesting a dealer history report and searching UCC filings under multiple name variations. UCC searches are state-by-state, according to the reporting. A search can help surface a recorded security interest, but buyers should pay attention to blanket liens and seek a release from the seller’s lender when appropriate. Schwarz’s suggestions were reported in the context of this case; a live purchase or dispute may require advice from a qualified professional in the relevant state.
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- Match the equipment’s serial number to the documents and request its dealer history.
- Search the relevant state’s UCC records using likely name variations for the seller and business.
- Review any filing for a blanket lien that could cover the equipment, not just a loan tied to one machine.
- If a lender’s interest appears, clarify whether it will release the equipment before completing the transaction.
Schwarz also recommended business safeguards for partners: put members’ rights and an exit plan in an operating agreement, maintain access to company books, and consider requiring more than one signer for checks and deposits. These are risk-management practices, not guarantees against fraud.
How to check for later court developments
The June 2025 reports described the arrest and release on bail but do not establish a later criminal-case outcome. Indiana’s Judicial Branch says the public can search non-confidential cases through MyCase. Some records or documents may not be available online; the Judicial Branch advises contacting the county clerk when needed. Check the docket or clerk for a current disposition before relying on an update.
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