A 25-year-old from Barry, Texas allegedly acquired 77 head of cattle from a livestock marketing company using bad checks totaling $159,604.03. Payton Dean Carroll was charged with felony second-degree cattle theft, the Leon County Sheriff's Department said Saturday. The case for the prosecution comes down to a single transaction at Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Inc.: Carroll allegedly walked out with the animals and left behind checks that did not clear.
The investigation
The Leon County Sheriff's Criminal Investigations Division opened its inquiry on July 17 after receiving a report of the alleged crime. Three outside agencies joined the case: the Buffalo Police Department, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and the Navarro County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office thanked each by name in its release.
The counterargument
Carroll has been charged, not convicted. Felony second-degree theft is a serious allegation in Texas, but an allegation is what it remains until decided in court. What Carroll understood about his account balances when he issued the checks is exactly the kind of question a defense would put to the prosecution. The Leon County release included no statement from Carroll or his representatives.
On balance
The read-through from this case is narrow. A 25-year-old allegedly acquired $159,604.03 worth of livestock on paper that proved bad, and four agencies were brought in to assist the investigation. The line to watch is the court proceeding, where the prosecution will have to show Carroll knew the checks would not clear when he handed them over. That is what the case turns on: $159,604.03.