(This story has been updated to include the names of the victims involved and some of the details of what Brandon White, of Lucasville, Ohio is accused of doing.)
LOGAN, Ohio — A Hocking County man is facing felony charges after allegedly bilking several cattle owners out of their cattle and, in one case, a pickup truck.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said May 29 that Brandon White, 28, of Lucasville, Ohio, has been indicted for running a scheme in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia where he allegedly purchased more than $30,000 worth of livestock and vehicles using fraudulent checks and falsified documents.
White was arraigned May 29 after being indicted by a Hocking County grand jury May 22.
The indictment includes 15 counts:
• Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, first degree felony;
• Grand theft of a motor vehicle, fourth degree felony (two counts);
• Theft of an elderly person, fourth degree felony;
• Theft of an elderly person, third degree felony;
• Theft by deception, fifth degree felony (five counts);
• Money laundering, third degree felony (two counts);
• Tampering with records, third degree felony (three counts);
Summary of events
White is accused of using fraudulent checks to purchase cattle from farmers who had advertised cattle to sell on
Craigslist
When he picked up the animals, he often used a false alias and paid the victim using a check drawn on an account that did not belong to him and had insufficient funds. White then sold the cattle quickly, before the checks bounced. He also is accused of filing false documents and stealing vehicles used to transport the cattle. He allegedly operated under the names B&S Trucking and Livestock LLC and Brandon’s Cattle Company.
Indictment details
According to the court indictment, White deceived David Jeffers, of Hocking County, and used his 3500 Dodge Ram pickup truck without his permission, which resulted in the grand theft charge and theft by deception charges.
Cattle owners
In addition, he was able to obtain cattle from at least five cattle owners in Hocking County. The cattle stolen from James K. Beglin is valued at more than $12,100 on two different occasions. Because Beglin is over 65 years old, White’s actions contributes to the theft of an elderly person charge.
White is also accused of obtaining cattle from Montie Kuhn, also in Hocking County, which had a value of more than $1,700. He also got away with cattle belonging to Tom Sanders for cattle worth $3,200, and cattle owned by Brian Jones with a price tag of $6,295.In addition, White is accused of depriving Danny Fordyce of cattle worth $6,150.
He also tried to trade bottle calves, which was also found to be part of the pattern of unlawful activity during November 2013.
Falsifying records
According to the indictment, White also tried to falsify data including a bill of sale reflecting seller information and a false vehicle identification number to the Scioto County Clerk of Courts and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which resulted in the charge of tampering with records.
Money laundering
The indictment also details how White tried to obtain a loan for a trailer from Trail West Trailer and a loan from Eagle Loan Co. of Ohio, using proceeds from unlawful activity, which resulted in the money laundering charges.This case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Unit along with the Gallia County Sheriff’s Office, Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson Township Police, Portsmouth Police, Scioto County Sheriff’s Office, Kenova Police (West Virginia), Mercer County Sheriff’s Office (Kentucky), Wood County Sheriff’s Office (West Virginia) and the Ohio Department of Public Safety. White was convicted in Mercer County, Kentucky, on similar charges. He currently is being held in the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail.
i say hang him just like they did to thiefs of days gone bye stealing from farmers what a piece of trash farmers have a hard enough time earning a liveing stealing from the very people we depend on
Absolutely hang until death
I am a bring back sparky kinda gal also tired of paying for the criminal one good jolt deserves another.
…..wonder what this dude would get sentenced under Sharia Law by the ISIS crowd…Hummm?
One of the most law-abiding societies in the world was feudal Japan, which ran from 1185 to 1600 AD. Their “legal” system was very simple, but highly effective. Here are their crimes and their punishments: THEFT=DEATH, FRAUD=DEATH. TREASON=DEATH. CHILD ABUSE=DEATH. This message got around the empire real quick like and all was well.
Now–we have so many laws, rules, regulations, ordinances, procedures–it looks like the crooks and not the law-abiding folk run the courts. Add in a bunch of mush-headed judges, and you get an awful stew.
You watch–some Legal Aid lawyer or Public Defender (paid with your tax dime) will have this perp shave, get a haircut, wear a suit for the first time in his life when he goes to court, and give the jury some sob-story that “society” made him thieve all the cattle, issue bad checks, and defraud people. I will not be surprised if this crook winds up suing those he swindled. Maybe Hollywood will make a movie out of this and make him a millionaire!
…how far has this great country fallen?
…how would this crook have fared 50, or better still, 100 years ago in Ohio? back then, we had J-U-S-T-I-C-E.