For Immediate Release: Feb. 24, 2012
Contact: Marissa Patton, 512-469-0171
CLAREMORE, OKLA. – Two Broken Arrow men have plead guilty Thursday to 8 counts of Cruelty to Animals, for shooting 9 head of Rogers County cattle with a bow and arrow, killing 6 of them.
Traton Tyler Vanderpool, 19, and Jared Wade Barlass, 20, were sentenced to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections RID program for one year. Upon successful completion of the boot camp style RID program the defendants will serve four years on supervised probation, pay a $100 fine, serve 60 days in the Rogers County jail or complete 240 house of community service, and both will pay full restitution to the ranchers in this case.
In August 2011, Vanderpool and Barlass turned themselves in to authorities after a number of tips were received by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Ranger John Cummings and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Department. The tips led to them being questioned by Special Ranger John Cummings and Rogers County Sheriff’s Department investigator Joe Garber.
“We owe a lot of thanks to the diligence and hard work of Special Ranger Cummings. His participation in the case was one of the main reasons it was solved,” said Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton. “This was a unique case in that it affected a variety of people. From the ranchers whose livelihoods depend on the cattle they produce, to a young 4-H member who lost her show calf, along with folks from the general public who were concerned about the welfare of the cattle so violently harmed. We appreciate our relationship we have with the community and the assistance we receive from groups like the TSCRA Special Rangers.”
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 135 year-old trade association and is the largest and oldest livestock organization based in Texas. TSCRA has over 15,000 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.