After five years, Heath Thomas Curry of Falls County, Texas was arrested and charged with the felony theft of livestock yesterday.
In February, Special Ranger Jeter reportedly received a call from a Nebraska rancher who had cattle in Robertson County, Texas. The rancher alleged that he had employed Curry as the ranch manager, for the past five years … but his cattle numbers had stopped adding up.
As the ranch manager, Curry was responsible for daily operations and the annual shipment of calves to Nebraska. The rancher had noticed a significant reduction in his calf crop, and after conducting an audit, reports allege that cattle were missing.
According to the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers’ Association, Jeter launched an investigation, searching for missing cattle that matched the rancher’s descriptions at local livestock sale barns.
The association’s briefing states that after reviewing the TSCRA inspection records, Jeter says he discovered that Curry sold branded and unbranded cattle in his own name at multiple livestock auction barns in the area. Jeter confirmed with the rancher, the cattle sold belonged to the rancher, not Curry.
Curry was arrested and taken to the Robertson County jail where he was later charged and released on a $50,000 bond.
The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger team has expressed its gratitude to the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office and the Robertson County District Attorney’s Office for their joint effort in the investigation.
The arrest of Curry has served as a warning to other cattle managers and ranchers in the area to be vigilant about their livestock and to report any suspicions of theft or fraud to law enforcement authorities. Cases are posted to the TSCRA website, anyone with information about any cases can contact the Operation Cow Thief tip line at 817-916-1775.
»Related: Arizona man pleads guilty to felony charges in cattle theft case
