Mugshot Garland Nelson
Garland Nelson is a Braymer, Missouri farmer who is accused in connection with the investigation into missing Wisconsin brothers Nicholas and Justin Diemel.
Specifically, Nelson is accused of admitting to driving the brothers’ car and abandoning it in a commuter lot. News of the arrest comes as the search for the brothers continues, but authorities are now labeling it a death investigation. Nelson’s full name is Garland Joseph “Joey” Nelson.
Nicholas and Justin Diemel disappeared without a trace while on a business trip to look at livestock in Missouri. Loved ones have started a Facebook page called “Please help bring Nick and Justin Diemel home.” You can read updates on that page here. Nick Diemel is 35, and Justin Diemel is 24. They own Diemel’s Livestock together near Seymour in the Green Bay, Wisconsin area.
“We do have a suspect in custody. We are not releasing any of the charges at this time. We’re still conducting a full investigation into this,” Clinton Co. Missouri Sheriff Larry Fish said, without naming that person. Detailed and methodical searches were underway involving dogs.
“It has changed from a missing person’s case over to a death investigation,” said Fish.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Garland Nelson Is Accused of Tampering With a Motor Vehicle – the Missing Brothers’ Rental
Garland Nelson
On July 26, 2019, Garland Nelson was charged in connection with the case. However, he’s only been accused of a vehicle charge, not directly in relation to the brothers’ disappearance. Nelson was arrested on Friday afternoon and is being held without bond.
KMBC further reported that documents allege that the brother’s truck’s GPS showed them arriving at Nelson’s farm at 9:30 a.m., and the truck left just over two hours later. The brothers spoke to an employee around 11, about 44 minutes before the truck left the farm, and they seemed “fine” in that telephone call, the television station reported. The truck was seen in Polo, Missouri with no one in the passenger seat and then was at the commuter lot by 12:45 p.m.
Nelson, 25, is accused of tampering with a motor vehicle. According to court documents obtained by Fox4KC, the brothers had gone to an address where Nelson owns a farm. He’s accused of admitting that he drove the brothers’ truck, leaving it in a commuter lot.
A post on the Facebook page devoted to the search says that the missing Wisconsin brothers were last contacted on July 21, 2019. No one has heard from them since. “On July 22, 2019 the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office regarding an abandoned vehicle located at a commuter lot in Holt, MO,” the page says.
“This vehicle was determined to be the one driven by two missing brothers from Wisconsin, Nicholas Diemel & Justin Diemel, who traveled to Missouri for business in Caldwell and Clinton counties…Please call Clinton County Sheriff 816-632-8477 or Missouri State Highway Patrol 573-526-6178 with any information!”
2. Nelson Has a Conviction for Cattle Fraud & Was Labeled a ‘Danger to the Community’
Nelson has a conviction for cattle fraud charges, according to KCTV.
Fox4KC reported that Nelson has “a conviction for selling cattle that didn’t belong to him.” On LinkedIn, where Nelson went by “Joey,” he identified himself as a farmer.
According to the Department of Justice news release in 2016, Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that Nelson “was sentenced in federal court today for a cattle fraud scheme that resulted in losses of more than $262,000 to his victims.”
Garland Joseph “Joey” Nelson, then 22, of Braymer, “was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to two years in federal prison without parole,” the release says.
“The court also ordered Nelson to pay $262,450 in restitution to his victims, including the USDA Farm Service Agency, Cyclone Cattle Company and individual victims. The government may enforce restitution and the recovery of government property under lien at any time. Nelson must report to the Bureau of Prisons on Nov. 21, 2016, to begin serving his sentence. On Nov. 30, 2015, Nelson pleaded guilty to a fraud scheme using property mortgaged or pledged to farm credit agencies. Nelson engaged in a three-part fraud scheme that caused a combined loss of $262,450.”
The release lists “Loan Fraud: $138,452,” and says that Nelson “admitted that he engaged in a scheme to sell at least 114 mortgaged head of cattle that were pledged to the Farm Service Agency (FSA), without notifying FSA of the sales, from April 1, 2013, through June 2014. He did not instruct purchasers to address proceeds checks to the FSA as well as to him, and he did not remit the bulk of the sale proceeds to FSA, as was required by the terms of his loans. Instead, Nelson admitted that he kept the funds for his personal use.”
Nelson, the release continued, “received two livestock operating loans in April 2013 totaling $158,000 for the limited purpose of buying and raising cattle. In violation of the express terms of his loans, and with fraudulent intent, Nelson conducted livestock sales from April 2013 to July 2014 under the name ‘Joey Nelson’ to avoid detection. He conducted other sales in the name of a friend to further conceal his involvement. His friend then transferred the proceeds to Nelson.”
The release continued: “Nelson ceased making repayments on his FSA loans as of Jan. 12, 2015. His outstanding principal balance is $138,452, plus applicable interest and penalties. Nelson filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on June 25, 2015.”
It also lists “Livestock Sales: $124,000,” and says, “Nelson also schemed to remove identification from cattle that was owned by others but placed in his care to graze. Nelson removed identification tags from 646 head of cattle that belonged to others, and commingled these cattle with his own and with those owned by his neighbor and landlord, in order to sell livestock undetected. He sold those cattle for his own benefit, for a total loss to three victims of $124,000.”
In the recent case, according to KSHB, the missing Wisconsin brothers’ Budget Rent A Car contract specified that only Nicholas Diemel could drive the vehicle, making Nelson’s alleged actions a crime. He’s accused of leaving the vehicle in the commuter lot with its lights on. Court documents labeled him an alleged “danger to the community,” the television station reported.
3. The Brothers Disappeared on a Trip to Missouri to Look at Cattle
Nick and Justin Diemel
Sheriff Fish of the Clinton County, Missouri Sheriff’s Department, wrote in a news release: “On July 22, 2019 the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office regarding an abandoned vehicle located at a commuter lot in Holt, MO. This vehicle was determined to be the one driven by two missing brothers from Wisconsin, Nicholas Diemel & Justin Diemel, who reportedly traveled to Missouri for business in Caldwell and Clinton counties. The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office activated a case squad to investigate the disappearance of the brothers shortly after 3 p.m. on Monday, July 22.”
A woman wrote on a comment thread on the page for the missing brothers, “You dont just disappear like this someone in mo has to know something did they ever meet with the client,” and the page responded, “yes they met with them n made a phone call while there.” Referring to Nick, the woman added, “someone else spoke with him at 11am or around that while they where at the farm..said everything seemed fine yet for whatever reason that was the last conversation anyone had with them.”
According to WBAY-TV, Diemel Livestock employee Rob Chupp last spoke with the missing Wisconsin brothers. He told KMBC-TV that they were at a farm when he spoke with them on Sunday, and they were supposed to return home a few hours after that.
4. Nelson Had a Previous Bankruptcy Filing
Garland Nelson bankruptcy petition.
In 2015, the News-Press reported on a bankruptcy involving Garland Nelson. “Chapter: 7. Financials: assets, $179,243; liabilities, $192,503. Garland Joseph Nelson, dba Nelson Farms, Braymer, Mo.,” the report says.
You can read the bankruptcy filing here. Creditors listed in the documents include farm credit services agencies, veterinary services, other farms, and a tractor company. His personal property included clothes and a checking account with $786 in it. He also owned a vehicle and some farming equipment. Under “cash on hand,” he listed $10. The documents listed “bad checks” to a sandwich shop and veterinary business. He also owed money to the University of Missouri office of financial aid. He described himself as self-employed.
He indicated that he made $2,650 a month doing odd jobs, working for a genetics company, and feeding cattle.
Nick Diemel is married with four children, and support for the families has flowed in. “We are so thankful for the outpouring of love and support that has been shown to our family at this difficult time,” his wife, Lisa Diemel, wrote on Facebook. “There have been many requests for what can we do to help? People wanting to make donations, etc. To those wanting to help please keep in mind the individuals that are working to bring Nick and Justin home. They need water, individually wrapped snacks that can hold up to the weather.”
She added: “Also law-enforcement agencies have budgets that they have to work within so any donation we would direct to contact Clinton County Missouri.”
She also wrote: “??????????. Nick Diemel your my rock, my shoulder to lean on and cry on, my country road in your pickup truck holding your hand complaining cause you gotta have your windows open and blow my long hair all over the damn place!!! I’m hurting so bad for you right now it’s crushing.”
In heartbreaking post after heartbreaking post, Diemel shared her love for Nick. “Please help bring Nick and Justin back to us! We love and miss them! Nick’s kids just want their daddy home,” she wrote with one. “Nick stay strong your babies are missing you something fierce (we all are!)” she wrote with another.
5. Multiple Searches Were Being Conducted for the Brothers, Including at Nelson’s Farm
Missing Wisconsin brothers Nick and Justin Diemel
In a news conference, the Clinton County Sheriff in Missouri said the brothers missed their flight and their rental vehicle was found abandoned. At that time, they were reported missing.
Search warrants were served, and searches were conducted in both Clinton and Caldwell Counties, he said. Buildings, ponds and waste piles were being checked at one Missouri property. “This is still very much an active investigation at this time,” the sheriff said. The search has, in part, targeted a property in Braymer, Missouri, where it’s believed the men had business.
“There’s always been multiple searches going on,” the sheriff added. In a press release, the Clinton County Missouri Sheriff’s Department wrote, “The investigation into the disappearance of the Diemel brothers continues. Searches have been conducted and are under way in Clinton and Caldwell counties. Multiple agencies are involved in the investigation, and multiple leads continue to be researched.”
Nelson’s property was among those searched.
The release added: “We continue to ask that anyone who has information which may be relevant to the investigation call our TIPS hotline at 816-632-8477.”