Indictments Handed Down in Cattle Theft Scam

LAMPASAS, Texas — Last week, on March 14, 2018 a Lampasas County Grand Jury handed down a double indictment against Mark Ray, 57, of Aurora, Colorado. The indictments, Theft by Deception and False Statement to Obtain Property, are both third-degree felonies. They come after an investigation led by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Ranger Marvin Wills.
Both indictments stem from a cattle transaction between Ray and a Stephens County, Texas victim in December 2016. Ray is accused of persuading the victim to invest in 52 head of cattle, which he alleged to be located in Lampasas County, Texas. The cattle were said to be relocated to a ranch in Pawhuska, Okla. where there were to be cared for and later sold.
When the victim failed to receive his interest in the cattle, he became suspicious and contacted authorities. Special Ranger Wills launched an investigation with the assistance of Lampasas County Sheriff’s Office Detective David Thorp and the Lampasas County District Attorney’s Office.
On February 6, 2018, the Lampasas County Justice of the Peace issued an arrest warrant for Ray as a result of the investigation. The recommended bond was set at $100,000, however Ray requested a bond reduction hearing, and on February 16, 2018 State District Judge John Gauntt reduced it to a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. Ray was then booked into the Lampasas County Jail and subsequently released.
Wills and TSCRA would like to thank Detective Thorp, the Lampasas County Sheriff’s Office, Lampasas County District Attorney’s Office and everyone involved with the investigation.
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