Snyder County officials are keeping a familiar farmer on public land at Faylor Lake, even as he prepares to fight a sweeping criminal case that accuses him of stealing roughly $1.32 million from a former employer. The county has awarded a new five-year lease on more than 200 acres of tillable ground around the 140-acre recreational lake to 38-year-old Kyle Supplee, a local farmer who is due in court next month on more than 100 criminal counts connected to his prior work for an agribusiness. The lease is tied to upkeep of the parkland and to planned improvements around the lake.
According to ABC27, Pennsylvania State Police in Lewistown have filed 115 criminal counts against Supplee, including felony forgery, theft by deception and deceptive business practices. Court records cited in that report allege that 23 fraudulent transactions, totaling about $1,323,307.12, were created through Keystone Agronomy Solutions, and that the business owner reported the suspected scheme to troopers in January. Supplee was arraigned and released on $50,000 unsecured bail, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 14.
County Sticks With Farmer at Center of Criminal Case
Public records show the county is moving ahead with Supplee on the same ground he has been farming for years. Allied News reports that Snyder County has awarded Supplee another five-year lease, running from 2027 to 2031, at about $295 per acre. That reporting and county documents note that Supplee currently farms roughly 217 tillable acres at the Faylor Lake complex, growing crops such as sorghum and sunflowers. County board chairman Joe Kantz told Allied News that, despite the pending criminal case, Supplee "has generally made good on his contract."
Faylor Lake: Recreation Hub Wrapped in Farmland
Snyder County describes Faylor Lake as a 140-acre recreational impoundment ringed by walking trails, a boat launch and a nationally recognized 18-hole disc-golf course, along with about 217 tillable acres of surrounding farmland. County materials outline existing amenities and planned upgrades, including an ADA kayak launch and an amphitheater pad, and describe the farmland as a managed public resource. Those documents highlight why the identity and reliability of the tenant farmer matter for both park maintenance and day-to-day recreation.
What Happens Next in Court
Under the current schedule cited by ABC27, Supplee remains free on the unsecured $50,000 bond set at arraignment and is due back in court May 14 for a preliminary hearing. The 115-count case includes allegations that he forged invoices and sent them to a financing company, which state police say led to funds being disbursed to the business and then allegedly diverted. Prosecutors are expected to present evidence at the hearing to determine whether the case advances toward trial.
How the Agribusiness Says It Unraveled the Scheme
Court records reported by Allied News state that Keystone Agronomy owner Emily Shaffer discovered fake invoices submitted to John Deere Financial and contacted troopers in January. Those same documents indicate Supplee signed a termination notice on January 10 after Shaffer confronted him about the invoices. County auction and lease records show Snyder County uses a public bidding process for the Faylor Lake farmland, and the reporting points to a tight timeline between the agribusiness complaint and the upcoming lease period at the lake.
