His co-conspirator Shawn Sawa, 49, of Clovis<\/a> pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Dec. 8 to 18 months in prison.<\/p>\n Click to resize<\/p>\n The pair used Best\u2019s defunct transportation company with access to trains and trucks, Transfer Inc., to move the goods, prosecutors said. They stole \u201chundreds of thousands of tons\u201d of canola from food processors that the company was supposed to move for those customers.<\/p>\n They sold the canola through an acquaintance in Texas, prosecutors said, to farms and dairies and divided the money. They used wire transfers and bank accounts, including one in the name of Sawa\u2019s spouse, to hide the scheme, according to prosecutors.<\/p>\n Best gave a cellphone to Sawa that once belonged to his deceased mother in an attempt to avoid detection, court documents said.<\/p>\n The men used the stolen money to cover Best\u2019s operating expenses, purchase luxury homes and multiple vehicles, take trips and hire private karate teachers, among other expenses, court records say.<\/p>\n