Trinity man
Well-known member
When you hear the term cattle rustling, you think of a crime from the days of the old west.
But more and more this crime from days gone by is becoming more popular.
The Southwestern Cattle Raiser's Association says cattle theft has tripled in the last few years.
The latest alleged incident in the Brazos Valley comes from Madison County where Dennis Wayne Currie has been charged with the felony after turning himself in to sheriff's deputies.
Two weeks ago Walker County authorities were looking for a man in connection with cattle thefts. A second man was arrested twice.
Officers arrested 26-year-old Kirk Greer July 31. Then, arrested him again on Tuesday for a different case of livestock death. Investigators are also looking for 22-year-old Matthew Stokes for the same charge.
Officers say the two men sold the stolen cattle at livestock auctions in Walker County and beyond. There are still gathering evidence on just how many cattle were taken.
But, so far they believe the men generated $8,000 in sales.
Here's some perspective on how lucrative a crime like cattle theft can be and the time you can serve if convicted.
With the price of cattle on a rise, A trailer full of cattle can get you $20-thousand
But there's a steep price to pay for that crime. Less than 10 head of cattle is felony, meaning you can spend up to 10 years in prison.
Ten or more head of cattle can get you 20 to to life.
Do those penalties seem tough? Consider this back in the Old West, cattle rustling in Texas could result in hanging.
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Watch your cattle I seen this happen back in 2005 all across East Texas. One guy lost 400 rolls of hay over the weekend while him and his wife was in Houston seeing their daughter. They used his tractor to load it. I have also talked to one of our market reports that covers Navasota livestock and he said trucks have been broke into at the sale barn the past few week too. Be on the watch.