AND LAW THEFT CONVICTIONS
Rockwood Man Sentenced 15 Years in Prison
A Joe Roberts TSCRA Special Ranger
RockWOOD MAN WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH SECOND DEGREE THEFT OF LIVE- stock and sentenced to 15 years in prison on Feb. 2, after stealing $3,000
worth of cattle from a rancher located in Coleman, Texas. The investigation was led by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers As-
sociation Special Ranger Joe Roberts and Coleman County Sheriff’s Deputy Archie Lancaster. Roberts received a phone call from a ranch hand on March 6, 2014, who
stated that 3 head of cattle were stolen from his boss’s ranch in Coleman. The foreman told Roberts that he found 4 wires cut on the victim’s fence and a gate going onto the neighbor’s property had been moved. The suspect, Don Ernest Estes, 40, of Rockwood, owns the land neighbor-
ing the victim’s property where the fence and gate had been tampered with. Roberts was able to determine that Estes had stolen the cattle. The victim stated that the missing cattle would have weighed about 650
pounds each, and were either black or red heifers or steers with no brands. Roberts contacted the owner and bookkeeper of the Coleman Livestock
Auction and was told that Estes sold a red 615-pound steer at the auction on Feb. 5, 2014. Roberts was able to identify the steer because it had a blue ear tag in the
left ear that said “Estes.” Later that week, Lancaster and the ranch owners found the other 2 cattle on another piece of land leased by Estes and confi rmed their identity. The cattle contained fresh brands on them with the letter “E.” Estes was arrested and charged with third degree cattle theft, but the charge
was later enhanced by Coleman County District Attorney Heath Hemphill to a second degree felony due to prior convictions. Estes pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in the state penitentiary for cattle theft and prior criminal mischief. TSCRA would like to thank the Coleman County Sheriff’s Department for
their assistance with this investigation. “It is crucial for ranchers to always brand and keep an accurate count on
their cattle,” said Roberts. “Taking these precautions serves as the fi rst line of defense against cattle theft. Additionally, it is important for ranchers to report any suspicious activity to their local law enforcement as quickly as possible. In this case, we were able to work with the victim and local law enforcement to investigate the crime and arrest another cattle thief. We will always work to seek justice for ranchers when necessary.”
34 The Cattleman June 2015
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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