Former grain dealer pleads not guilty

Former grain dealer Cathy Gieseker pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 12 state fraud and stealing charges.
She’s accused of bilking more than 180 farmers out of an estimated $27 million while she ran a Martinsburg trucking company that sold and hauled grain.
The state alleges that Gieseker routinely promised farmers she could sell their grain at an amount higher than the going rate, or that she could sell their grain under a delayed price and deferred payment contract. In most cases, the state charges, Gieseker sold the grain at the going rate, and then did not pay the farmers.
Gieseker also faces federal charges. A routine state audit in February first prompted concerns among state officials, who opened an investigation.
The federal trial begins Dec. 7 in St. Louis.