WASHINGTON Nov. 2, 2026 — A former Nevada internet service provider owner pleaded guilty to laundering more than $7.8 million intended for a federally funded rural broadband project, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Stephen A. Kromer, former owner of Reno-based Uprise LLC, admitted to diverting money intended for the Lovelock Project, a proposed high-speed internet network serving rural communities near Lovelock, Nev., about 100 miles northeast of Reno. The project received a $27 million grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect Program in 2023.
As a condition of receiving the grant, Uprise agreed to contribute approximately $9 million toward construction. The company obtained that money from the State of Nevada and deposited it into a separate account designated exclusively for the Lovelock Project and overseen by the USDA…