FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 16, 2014
Contact: Laramie Adams
Cell: 512-922-7328
Canton, Ohio – A Texas man was arrested on Friday by members of the U.S. Marshals, Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force – Canton, Ohio Division, on warrants stemming from two separate investigations being conducted by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Rangers in Texas and Oklahoma.
TSCRA Special Ranger Bart Perrier led the investigation in Oklahoma where the suspect, Raymond James (RJ) Fleming purchased 63 head of cattle for $112,805 from a victim in Bryan County, Oklahoma on June 6, 2014. Perrier said Fleming paid for the cattle with two separate bad checks. After the investigation, a warrant was issued for Fleming’s arrest out of Bryan County, Oklahoma on July 11 charging him with one count of obtaining property by false pretenses, and a bond was set at $5,000 on this charge.
According to Perrier, Fleming had also agreed to purchase 20 cow/calf pairs and one bull from a victim in Clay County, Texas for the sum of $50,800. This investigation was led by TSCRA Special Ranger John Bradshaw after he found out Fleming had failed to pay for $30,800 of the cattle he received. A warrant was issued for Fleming’s arrest charging him with one count of theft of livestock under $100,000 from the elderly, a second degree felony.
Special Rangers Perrier and Bradshaw learned that Fleming had left the area, and they spent the last several weeks attempting to locate Fleming for his arrest. The investigation revealed that Fleming was located in Canton, Ohio where he was arrested on the outstanding warrants in Texas and Oklahoma, and he will be extradited back to both states to face these charges.
TSCRA would like to thank Special Rangers Perrier, Bradshaw, Troy McKinney, Larry Hand and Tommy Charbula, as well as members of the U.S. Marshals, Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force – Canton, Ohio Division for their continuous assistance on these cases.
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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 137-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.