For Immediate Release: July 1, 2013
Contact: Carmen Fenton, 512-673-3906

Hillsboro, Texas – A 53-year-old Cleburne man was sentenced to 15 years in prison today after he was found guilty of stealing five calves from a Johnson County rancher.

In 2010, Terry Shawn Linville sold five calves at the Hubbard Livestock Market, but he was flagged suspicious by the sale barn owner because of his past criminal record, which included previous cattle theft charges.

Once the victim realized he was missing calves, he reported them stolen to Johnson County Detective Steve Shaw and TSCRA Special Ranger H.D. Brittain.

Brittain was notified of Linville’s activity at the sale barn by Marvin Wills, TSCRA Special Ranger for the Hubbard area. According to Brittain, the five calves Linville sold matched the description of those stolen. DNA tests were performed on the calves which confirmed that they were in fact the same calves that were stolen.

“We are glad to see such a strong sentence handed down today,” said Brittain. “Would-be thieves need to know that we don’t take cattle theft lightly here in Texas.”

Linville was convicted of second degree felony livestock theft, a charge enhanced because of his past criminal record.  He was also ordered to pay more than $2,500 in restitution to the victim and to TSCRA for the DNA testing.

TSCRA would like to thank the many agencies, sale barns and individuals involved in this case, and especially the Hill County District Attorney’s Office and Hill County Assistant District Attorney Nicole Crain.

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TSCRA has 29 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.