For Immediate Release:
August 19, 2016
Contact: Laramie Adams
Cell: 512-922-7328
Pawhuska, Okla. – Cody Joseph Porter, 31, Sperry, Okla., today was sentenced to 10 years in prison for knowingly concealing stolen cattle at his home located in Sperry Okla. Porter stole calves from three different victims and was arrested on four counts of knowingly concealing stolen cattle on July 25, 2015.
In 2015, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Bart Perrier, along with Osage County Authorities, investigated the case where three separate victims reported the thefts of calves from area pastures.
On July 25, 2015, Perrier received a call from Osage County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesse Brewer who was at the home of Porter. Perrier responded to the scene where the authorities noticed 14 head of young calves in a pen. Many of the calves matched the descriptions of the ones recently reported stolen. Several had unique markings and were easily identifiable.
Based on the observations, a search warrant was obtained for a search of the property. The subsequent search and further investigation resulted in ten of the calves being identified as the stolen calves reported by the three victims.
Porter accepted a blind guilty plea today from the Osage County District Court and was sentenced to a total of ten years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. He was ordered to serve four years of the sentence incarcerated and six years suspended.
“This case is a perfect example of two agencies working together to recover stolen livestock and hold thieves accountable for their crimes,” said Perrier.
TSCRA would like to thank the Osage County Sheriff office, Deputy Brewer, Chief Investigator Charlie Cartwright, Deputy Clay Testerman, Deputy Josh Vogele and Deputy Joe Sherrell for their assistance in this joint investigation.
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TSCRA has 30 special rangers stationed strategically throughout Texas and Oklahoma who have in-depth knowledge of the cattle industry and are trained in all facets of law enforcement. All are commissioned as Special Rangers by the Texas Department of Public Safety and/or the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
TSCRA is a 139-year-old trade association and is the largest and oldest livestock organization based in Texas. TSCRA has more than 17,000 beef cattle operations, ranching families and businesses as members. These members represent approximately 50,000 individuals directly involved in ranching and beef production who manage 4 million head of cattle on 76 million acres of range and pasture land primarily in Texas and Oklahoma, but throughout the Southwest.