Following a series of retirements and staff departures, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Georgia Program Specialist Justin Owenby inherited a case load of projects and servicing actions in 2025 for various USDA investments.

While familiarizing himself with one of these inherited projects, he noticed many duplicate invoices, which added up to nearly $300,000. These invoices drew funds from a city’s $6 million water improvement project funding that was awarded by RD.

Money was transferred out of the construction account into a general fund. When he asked for explanation from the city, the representative became defensive and expressed outrage. Fortunately for USDA and RD, the rebuke by the city did not discourage him from following his intuition. 

Unbeknownst to the alleged fraudster, Justin is certified in Wicklander- Zulawski Interview and Interrogation Techniques. This program teaches interviewers to approach each unique situation with strategy, rapport, empathy, and legally acceptable techniques instead of pressure or confrontation.

“My background in interviewing made me think the representative was being deceitful, but it took a little digging to find out how,” says Justin, who meticulously manages the projects under his purview. He leaned into his training, spending more than 12 hours of his off time pursuing the truth. 

“I was up until 3 a.m. one Sunday, and when I figured it out, I turned to my daughter and told her and we both jumped up and down for joy,” he recounted.

He reported his findings to RD leadership and while formal actions were in the works to investigate fully, Justin used controls that are in place to prevent additional unauthorized assistance. He adjusted the city’s next pay request by subtracting the missing amount, informing the city there is a discrepancy. As a result, RD only paid a portion of their next pay request. This prompted the city to conduct an audit which uncovered the missing funds.

Fraud is not just a buzzword at USDA, it’s intentional deception for personal gain, and USDA Rural Development takes fraud very seriously. 

Justin’s actions recovered nearly $300,000 that was intended for improving a city’s water system. In July 2026, he was named a Fraud Detection Champion and received a Certificate of Appreciation from USDA Rural Development’s Chief Risk Officer CB Alonso. It was presented to Justin by Risks, Audits, & Investigations Division Acting Director Shelina Turner.

To prevent fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA), agencies must implement robust compliance programs, conduct regular audits, and foster a culture of integrity through education and training, while also utilizing technology and encouraging reporting of suspected FWA.

Call to Action:

The public can contact the USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG) to report fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement in a USDA Rural Development Program.