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Attorney General Mike DeWine
Man Indicted
for Cattle-Rustling Scheme
(LOGAN, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that an
Ohio man has been indicted for running a scheme in Ohio, Kentucky, and
West Virginia where he allegedly purchased over $30,000 worth of
livestock and vehicles using fraudulent checks and falsified documents.
Brandon White, 28, of Lucasville, was arraigned today after being
indicted by a Hocking County grand jury on May 22. The indictment
became public today. It includes 15 counts:
Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, first
degree felony
Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle, fourth degree felony
(two counts)
Theft of an Elderly Person, fourth degree felony
Theft of an Elderly Person, third degree felony
Theft by Deception, fifth degree felony (five counts)
Money Laundering, third degree felony (two counts)
Tampering with Records, third degree felony (three
counts)
White is accused of using fraudulent checks to purchase cattle from
farmers who had advertised on Craigslist that they had cattle to sell.
When he picked up the animals, he often used a false alias and paid the
victim using a check drawn on an account that did not belong to him and
had insufficient funds. White then sold the cattle quickly, before the
checks bounced. He also is accused of filing false documents and
stealing vehicles used to transport the cattle. He allegedly operated
under the names B&S Trucking and Livestock LLC and Brandon’s Cattle
Company.
“We won’t stand by while farmers and other Ohioans are ripped off,”
Attorney General DeWine said. “This defendant is accused of traveling
around Ohio and nearby states to steal livestock and vehicles using
fraudulent checks and false documents.”
The case is being prosecuted by an attorney with Attorney General
DeWine’s Economic Crimes Unit. Attorney General DeWine created the
Economic Crimes Unit shortly after taking office in 2011 to help
prosecutors and local law enforcement investigate and pursue economic
crimes.
This case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Economic Crimes
Unit along with the Gallia County Sheriff’s Office, Hocking County
Sheriff’s Office, Jackson Township Police, Portsmouth Police, Scioto
County Sheriff’s Office, Kenova Police (West Virginia), Mercer County
Sheriff’s Office (Kentucky), Wood County Sheriff’s Office (West
Virginia), and the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
The defendant was convicted in Kentucky on similar charges. He
currently is being held in the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail.
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