2025-09-30 sec-litreleases litigation_release 66 KB 2,659 chars

SEC v. Agridime, LLC; Jed Wood; and Joshua Link, No. LR-26415, Northern District of Texas (Sept. 30, 2025) — Press Release

raw: Agridime, LLC, Jed Wood, and Joshua Link

Agridime, LLC, Jed Wood, and Joshua Link, No. 4:23-cv-01224 (Sept. 30, 2025)

Caption
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Agridime LLC
summary

The SEC obtained final judgments against Agridime, LLC, and founders Jed Wood and Joshua Link for operating a $191 million cattle-related Ponzi scheme.

paragraph

Agridime, LLC, Jed Wood, and Joshua Link were charged with violating antifraud and registration provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The defendants raised at least $191 million by promising guaranteed returns of 15% to 32% through cattle investment contracts. Final judgments require Agridime to pay over $120 million in disgorgement and interest, while Wood and Link face millions in additional disgorgement, interest, and penalties.

narrative

The SEC obtained final judgments against Agridime, LLC, and its founders, Jed Wood and Joshua Link, for operating a Ponzi scheme that raised at least $191 million between 2021 and 2023. The defendants sold investment contracts promising guaranteed returns of 15% to 32% based on cattle trading, but they failed to purchase sufficient cattle to fulfill the contracts. Instead, they diverted tens of millions of dollars to pay prior investors and undisclosed sales commissions, including $1.3 million each to Wood and Link. The defendants were charged with violating antifraud and registration provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The final judgments include permanent injunctions and prohibit Wood and Link from serving as securities officers or directors. Monetary orders include over $120 million for Agridime and several million dollars each for Wood and Link in disgorgement, interest, and penalties.

Enriched metadata

Scheme
ponzi (99%)
Court
Northern District of Texas
Case No.
4:23-cv-01224
Disgorgement
$102,936,904
Civil penalty
$3,106,957
Victim loss
$1,300,000
Entity
Agridime, LLC
Classified ponzi(confidence 99%). EDGAR detection: forms Form D· recall 35% / precision 15%. detection rule →
Parties
Securities and Exchange CommissionAgridime LLCLance LentonCattle Empire LLCJoshua LinkMario OstFrost BankSCRS Fort Worth Industrial LLCRobert ShaneADR ProviderLonnie JaegerJed WoodBrookover Feed Yards, Inc.
Keywords
agridimesecuritiessecurities exchangewoodlinkwood joshuajoshua linkexchange commissionfinal judgmentscattlellcexchangecommissionsecfinal

Exhibits & Attached Documents (3)

Extracted insights

Dollar amounts 9
  • $191.00M $191 million $100M–$1B
  • $102.94M $102,936,904 $100M–$1B
  • $17.31M $17,310,965 $10M–$100M
  • $3.11M $3,106,957 $1M–$10M
  • $1.96M $1,959,309 $1M–$10M
  • $1.30M $1.3 million $1M–$10M
  • $693K $693,251 $100K–$1M
  • $374K $373,676 $100K–$1M
  • $236K $236,451 $100K–$1M
Entities 4
  • person final judgments
  • scheme_term jed wood and joshua link for operating a ponzi scheme
  • agency keefe bernstein of the sec’s fort worth regional office
  • agency Securities and Exchange Commission
Triples 14
  • Securities And Exchange Commission Obtained Final Judgment Agridime, LLC, Jed Wood, and Joshua Link
  • SEC Charged Jed Wood and Joshua Link for Operating a Ponzi Scheme
  • Defendants Raised At Least $191 Million From January 2021 To December 2023 By Selling Investment Contracts Related To Cattle
  • Defendants Promised To Sell Cattle To Investors For a Fixed Price Per Head
  • Defendants Promised To Buy Back The Same Cattle At a Higher Price To Provide a Guaranteed Investment Return Ranging From 15% To 32%
  • Defendants Diverted Tens Of Millions Of Dollars In Investor Funds To Ponzi Payments And Undisclosed Sales Commissions, Including Approximately $1.3 Million To Wood And $1.3 Million To Link And His Wife
  • Final Judgments Enjoin Defendants From Violations Of Antifraud Provisions Of Section 17(a) Of The Securities Act And Section 10(b) Of The Securities Exchange Act And Rule 10b-5
  • Final Judgments Prohibit Link and Wood From Acting As Officers And Directors Or Participating In Issuance, Purchase, Offer, Or Sale Of Securities
  • Final Judgments Order Wood To Pay Disgorgement Of $1,959,309.67, Pre-Judgment Interest Of $373,676.49, And Civil Penalty Of $236,451
  • Final Judgments Order Link To Pay Disgorgement Of $3,106,957.09, Pre-Judgment Interest Of $693,251.87, And Civil Penalty Of $3,106,957.09
  • Final Judgments Order Agridime To Pay Disgorgement Of $102,936,904 And Prejudgment Interest Of $17,310,965.32
  • Disgorgement And Prejudgment Interest Deemed Satisfied By Receiver’s Collection Efforts
  • Commission’s Litigation Handled By Tyson M. Lies and Matthew Gulde
  • Commission’s Litigation Supervised By Keefe Bernstein Of The SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office
Text layers
Extracted body text (2,659c)
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 26415 / September 30, 2025 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Agridime, LLC, et al., No. 4:23-cv-01224-P (N.D. Tex. filed Dec. 11, 2023) SEC Obtains Final Judgment Against Company and Founders in Cattle Ponzi Scheme On September 19, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission obtained final judgments against Agridime, LLC, Jed Wood, and Joshua Link, whom the SEC previously charged for their roles in operating a Ponzi scheme. The SEC’s complaint, filed on December 11, 2023 in federal district court in Fort Worth, Texas, alleged that the defendants raised at least $191 million from at least January 2021 to December 2023 by selling investment contracts related to the purchase and sale of cattle. In connection with these contracts, the defendants allegedly promised to sell cattle to investors for a fixed price per head and, after a year, buy back the same cattle at a higher price to provide a specific guaranteed investment return, which ranged from 15% to as high as 32% for some contracts. In reality, the complaint alleged, the defendants did not purchase enough cattle to fulfill Agridime’s contracts and instead diverted tens of millions of dollars in investor funds to make Ponzi payments to prior investors and to pay undisclosed sales commissions, including commissions of approximately $1.3 million to Wood and $1.3 million to Link and his wife. On December 11, 2023, the Court entered a temporary restraining order, asset freeze, and other ancillary relief against the Defendants, including the appointment of a receiver. The final judgments enjoin the defendants from violations of the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and the registration provisions of Section 5 of the Securities Act, and prohibit Link and Wood from acting as officers and directors or participating in the issuance, purchase, offer, or sale of securities. The final judgments also order Wood to pay disgorgement of $1,959,309.67, pre-judgment interest of $373,676.49, and a civil penalty of $236,451; Link to pay disgorgement of $3,106,957.09, pre-judgment interest of $693,251.87, and a civil penalty of $3,106,957.09; and Agridime to pay disgorgement of $102,936,904 and prejudgment interest of $17,310,965.32. The disgorgement and prejudgment interest ordered against Agridime is deemed satisfied by the receiver’s collection efforts. The Commission’s litigation was handled by Tyson M. Lies and Matthew Gulde and supervised by Keefe Bernstein of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office.
OCR text (2,659c · html-text · 99% conf)
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 26415 / September 30, 2025 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Agridime, LLC, et al., No. 4:23-cv-01224-P (N.D. Tex. filed Dec. 11, 2023) SEC Obtains Final Judgment Against Company and Founders in Cattle Ponzi Scheme On September 19, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission obtained final judgments against Agridime, LLC, Jed Wood, and Joshua Link, whom the SEC previously charged for their roles in operating a Ponzi scheme. The SEC’s complaint, filed on December 11, 2023 in federal district court in Fort Worth, Texas, alleged that the defendants raised at least $191 million from at least January 2021 to December 2023 by selling investment contracts related to the purchase and sale of cattle. In connection with these contracts, the defendants allegedly promised to sell cattle to investors for a fixed price per head and, after a year, buy back the same cattle at a higher price to provide a specific guaranteed investment return, which ranged from 15% to as high as 32% for some contracts. In reality, the complaint alleged, the defendants did not purchase enough cattle to fulfill Agridime’s contracts and instead diverted tens of millions of dollars in investor funds to make Ponzi payments to prior investors and to pay undisclosed sales commissions, including commissions of approximately $1.3 million to Wood and $1.3 million to Link and his wife. On December 11, 2023, the Court entered a temporary restraining order, asset freeze, and other ancillary relief against the Defendants, including the appointment of a receiver. The final judgments enjoin the defendants from violations of the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and the registration provisions of Section 5 of the Securities Act, and prohibit Link and Wood from acting as officers and directors or participating in the issuance, purchase, offer, or sale of securities. The final judgments also order Wood to pay disgorgement of $1,959,309.67, pre-judgment interest of $373,676.49, and a civil penalty of $236,451; Link to pay disgorgement of $3,106,957.09, pre-judgment interest of $693,251.87, and a civil penalty of $3,106,957.09; and Agridime to pay disgorgement of $102,936,904 and prejudgment interest of $17,310,965.32. The disgorgement and prejudgment interest ordered against Agridime is deemed satisfied by the receiver’s collection efforts. The Commission’s litigation was handled by Tyson M. Lies and Matthew Gulde and supervised by Keefe Bernstein of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office.