The Robert E. Coyle Federal Courthouse in Downtown Fresno. File photo

Part of Fresno’s ongoing canola caper came to a close in court Monday with the guilty plea of Clovis resident Shawn Sawa in a $5 million livestock feed scam.

According to federal court documents, from 2015-2017 Sawa, 47, and Richard Best stole $4.8 million worth of canola — used to make livestock feed — from food processors. Federal prosecutors said the pair sold the canola for a windfall through Best’s now defunct train-to-truck transloading company, Richard Best Transfer Inc. (RBT).

Sawa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The victim food processors sent hundreds of thousands of tons of their canola to RBT for delivery to their customers. Sawa was the manager of a victim food processor’s branch office in Fresno and had a close relationship with Best, according to court documents.

Sawa and Best sold the stolen canola through an acquaintance in Texas who used to work in the livestock-feed industry, according to court documents. The acquaintance sold the stolen canola to farms and dairies and distributed the proceeds according to Best’s instructions that included wire transfers to Sawa, RBT and Best’s bank accounts, prosecutors say. The account that Sawa used was opened in his spouse’s name to try to conceal the scheme.

Throughout the scheme, prosecutors say Sawa and Best caused RBT to email fraudulent inventory reports to the victim food processors representing that RBT had certain amounts of their canola in-stock when, in fact, RBT had significantly lesser amounts. Sawa and Best used the proceeds from the scheme to purchase luxury homes and multiple vehicles, take trips, hire private karate teachers and cover RBT’s operating expenses, according to court documents.

Sawa is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Fresno on Aug. 11, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Sawa faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Best was also charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The charges against him are pending and are only allegations.