For Immediate Release: May 3, 2013
Contact: Carmen Fenton, 512-673-3906
Fairfield, Texas – A four month cattle theft investigation concluded Wednesday after a Freestone County man surrendered himself to authorities.
Jackie Lynn Farish, 68, of Wortham, was indicted April 24, 2013, on third degree felony theft regarding missing livestock.
In December 2012, TSCRA Special Ranger Jimmy Dickson was contacted by a New Mexico rancher concerning a shortage of 124 head of cattle that were supposed to be bought, pre-conditioned and delivered to the victim by Farish.
An investigation by Dickson and Sergeant Clayton Aldrich, of the Freestone County Sheriff’s Department, revealed that Farish had taken payment from the victim for at least 55 head of the cattle, but never purchased them. He also charged the victim thousands of dollars for feed and care for cattle that didn’t exist.
Dickson praised the assistance he received from Freestone County Detective Aldrich and the Freestone County District Attorney Christopher Martin.
“Freestone County is a big ranching area, and authorities here take ranch related crimes very seriously,” Dickson said.
Farish is currently in custody at the Freestone County jail on a $20,000 bond. If convicted he could receive up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
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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 136 year-old trade association and is the largest and oldest livestock organization based in Texas. TSCRA has more than 16,000 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.