FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 29, 2015
CONTACT: Laramie Adams
Cell: 512-922-7328
Bowie, Texas – Two North Texas men were arrested and charged with third degree theft of livestock on April 17 and April 20 after they stole three horses from a man at the Bowie Livestock Auction in Bowie, Texas.
The investigation was led by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger John Bradshaw.
The suspects, Johnny Jackson, 35 and Justin Craig, 27, both of Bowie, Texas, were arraigned and charged with third degree felony theft of livestock by the Montague County District Attorney’s Office.
The victim, who leases part of the Bowie Livestock Auction barn and some surrounding land, contacted Bradshaw on March 1 in reference to three of his horses that were stolen from the Bowie Livestock Auction. The victim gave Bradshaw the descriptions of the horses and he said the three horses were worth $8,000, $5,000 and $4,000. The victim also sent Bradshaw photos of the horses with saddles and blankets on them.
The victim advised that Jackson, the suspect and livestock owner’s son who lives in a mobile home on the Bowie Livestock Auction premises, could have information or be involved in the horse theft. On March 20 the victim contacted Bradshaw to let him know he had a possible location of one of the stolen horses just outside of Bowie. The victim also told Bradshaw that he was told the other two horses could be at the National Roper’s Supply (NRS) Training Center south of Decatur.
Bradshaw traveled to Decatur and met with Randy Moon, one of the bosses at the NRS Training Center. Moon told Bradshaw that Craig had two horses at the training center, and Moon allowed Bradshaw to look at the horses. Bradshaw immediately realized they were two of the horses stolen from the victim.
Bradshaw asked Moon if he knew where Craig was located, and Moon said that Craig worked for the NRS Training Center and he was on the premises. Moon contacted Craig and Bradshaw met with the suspect and asked where he got the two horses. Craig said Jackson had asked him to train the horses so they could sell them and split the profit. Craig said he realized one of the horses was “no good” so he left it with some people he knew south of Bowie and took the other two horses to the training facility.
The victim was notified and he arrived at the training facility to retrieve the two horses. Bradshaw and the victim then went to the location of the other stolen horse, south of Bowie. Upon arrival, Bradshaw noticed two horse blankets hanging on the fence, which he recognized from the pictures the victim provided of the stolen horses. Bradshaw confirmed it was the victim’s horse so he allowed the victim to take custody of the horse.
Bradshaw requested warrants for the arrest of Craig and Jackson for stealing the horses from the victim at the Bowie Livestock Auction to train and sell for a profit. Bradshaw and Wise County Deputies Toney Rogers and Robert Sparks arrested Craig on April 17 and Bradshaw arrested Jackson at the Bowie Livestock Auction on April 20. Both suspects have been arraigned and charged with theft of livestock, a third degree felony, with the Montague County District Attorney’s Office.
TSCRA would like to thank the Wise and Montague County Sheriff’s Departments for their assistance with this 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 138-year-old trade association and is the largest and oldest livestock organization based in Texas. TSCRA has more than 16,500 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.