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This would be an interesting plot for a season of True Detective. The progression of events fits nicely with the dual timeline structure of the first season.
Whooda thunk agriculture was so ripe (pardon the expression) for scamming?
ISTM this was due more to the windfall situation than to agriculture specifically. The marks happened to be farmers, but what made them marks was the fact that they had more money than they knew what to do with. That is, I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar story about the Dakotas in the years before the oil price dropped.
This reminds me of the fruitcake factory scammer who also stole $16 million before his underling finally noticed:

http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/just-desserts/

How bizarre, as soon as I scroll down past the subtitle the entire page goes white and never comes back. Happens whether I drag the scrollbar, use the down key, use the page down key, or swipe on the touchscreen as well.

(latest firefox on windows 8 on a thinkpad tablet 2 in case anybody's curious)

Is there a summary version of this story without all the "long form" padding about the color of everyone's hair and dirt?
TLDR; The South African man Arno comes to the US in 1999. He cons millions from farmers and rich women. He eludes the FBI and a private investigator in 2008. He flees to South Africa in 2009 with his brother, the leader of an organized poaching ring. In 2011 Arno and his brother's poaching ring are caught by local authorities in South Africa.

There are lots of interesting bits of California agricultural history between the plot points.