A 65-year-old Montalba man is at the core of a massive cattle case, according to investigators, after a months-long, multi-county investigation into alleged livestock theft and check fraud concluded with his arrest in early April. Authorities say he failed to pay for more than $221,000 in cattle transactions and then wrote a separate bad check for more than $31,000, all while trading livestock at other barns. In March, a Jasper County grand jury returned an indictment, and an April warrant led to his arrest in Limestone County.
The Texas & Southwestern Livestock Raisers Association (TSCRA) launched an investigation in August 2025 after receiving a complaint that the suspect had failed to pay for livestock transactions totaling $221,730.20 at a nearby auction barn, according to the association. According to TSCRA, the individual was arrested in November 2025, and a Jasper County grand jury returned a true bill of indictment for cattle theft on March 16.
According to Oklahoma Farm Report, a follow-up investigation revealed that the suspect thereafter wrote a non-sufficient funds check for $31,629.75 dated Jan. 9 and continued to buy and sell livestock without paying his debt. According to that outlet, a warrant was obtained on April 7 and the individual was arrested in Limestone County on April 9; the case has been turned over to the district attorney’s office and is still being investigated.
Concerns about livestock theft have driven a more coordinated response throughout rural counties, with special rangers working with sheriff’s offices to monitor sale barns and cattle movement, as well as track unpaid transactions. Earlier this winter, local coverage reported a separate December theft that resulted in a Crime Stoppers reward and a request for people to review their security camera footage, underscoring how these thefts can particularly harm small producers, according to the Colorado County Citizen.
According to TSCRA, its special rangers worked with the Jasper County District Attorney’s Office, the Rains County District Attorney’s Office, and sheriff’s departments in Rains, Limestone, and Jasper counties throughout the investigation. According to the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, evidence has been turned over to prosecutors, and the investigation is ongoing as authorities decide whether to pursue more charges.
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