FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 29, 2015
CONTACT: Laramie Adams
Cell: 512-922-7328
Sperry, Okla. – A Sperry, Okla. man was arrested Saturday and charged with four counts of knowingly concealing stolen cattle at his home located in Sperry, Okla. after stealing calves from three different victims.
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Ranger Bart Perrier and the Osage County Sheriff’s Department led this investigation.
Perrier had been investigating a series of cattle thefts in the southern area of Osage County over the past several weeks. Three separate ranchers reported thefts of calves from their area pastures.
Perrier received a call from the Osage County Sheriff’s Department on Saturday and authorities stated that they were at the home of the suspect, Cody J. Porter, 29, of Sperry Okla. Perrier drove to the suspect’s home with Osage County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesse Brewer. Perrier and Brewer conducted a follow-up investigation and noticed 14 head of young calves in a pen near the suspect’s barn area. According to Perrier, many of the calves matched the descriptions of the recently reported stolen calves in the Osage County area that TSCRA and the Osage County Sheriff’s Department had been investigating. Perrier said several of the calves had unique markings and were easily identifiable.
Based on the observations of Brewer and Perrier, a search warrant was obtained for a search of the property. The subsequent search and further investigation resulted in ten of the calves being identified as the stolen calves reported by the three victims in the area between July 8 and July 23.
Porter was arrested and jailed for the charges in Osage County. He was arraigned in the Osage County District Court on charges of four counts of knowingly concealing stolen property and his bond was set at $50,000.
This investigation and the positive identification of the remaining calves are ongoing with additional charges possibly being filed in this case. Anyone with information about these crimes should contact Perrier at 918-275-4257 or the Osage County Sheriff’s Office.
“This case is a perfect example of two agencies cooperating and working together to recover stolen livestock and hold cattle thieves accountable for their actions,” said Perrier. “We will continue working on this case to seek justice for the ranchers who have become victim’s of cattle theft.”
TSCRA would like to thank Brewer, Chief Investigator Charlie Cartwright and Osage County Sheriff’s Deputies Clay Testerman and Joe Sherrell for their assistance in this joint 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.