Fort Worth, Texas - Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Ranger Jimmy Dickson arrested a suspect for second degree felony theft in Rusk, Texas. A second degree felony is punishable with a jail sentence of no less than two years and no more than 20 years and/or a fine not to exceed $10,000.
Michael Bradberry was hired by the victim in 2008 to oversee his ranching operation while he was out of the country. The victim had sent money to Bradberry to purchase cattle. Bradberry communicated to the victim through email that he had an inventory of 109 head of cattle for the victim.
When the victim returned, Bradberry showed him the cattle he said he purchased on behalf of the victim. The cattle were on the victim's land.
In February 2009, Dickson received a call from the victim who was suspicious after Bradberry was caught lying. The father of the victim placed a lock on the gate of the victim's property as well as a sign stating to call the victim if you needed to get on the property for any reason. The victim's father received a call from a Cherokee County rancher wanting to know why the gate was locked.
The rancher said he had leased the land from Bradberry a year ago. The cattle on the property actually belonged to the rancher leasing to the property, not to the victim.
Further investigation revealed that Bradberry had stolen and sold numerous pieces of ranching equipment as well as the money he received to purchase the cattle.
"This is an ongoing investigation," Dickson said. "Additional charges could be filed against the suspect if more equipment is recovered. The sad thing is there could be more victims in this case who purchased the stolen equipment in good faith. Those victims stand to lose their equipment and the money they paid for it."
Bradberry surrendered at the Cherokee County Jail and was arrested for felony theft over $100,000. He is currently out on bond.
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.
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is a 132-year-old trade organization and is the largest livestock association in Texas. TSCRA's 15,000 members manage approximately 4 million head of cattle on 51.5 million acres of range and pasture land, primarily in Texas and Oklahoma. TSCRA provides law enforcement services, livestock inspection, legislative and regulatory advocacy and educational opportunities for its members. |
