Texas man wanted for rustling of the bulls

DUNCAN — A Texas man is wanted for allegations he bullishly cut security camera power cords and steered five head of cattle from the Comanche Livestock Auction to a packer plant in the Lone Star state.

The Stephens County District Court issued a felony arrest warrant Nov. 27 for Joey Raydale Dickey, 42, of Sunset, Texas, for five counts of larceny of livestock and another count of tampering with security camera, records indicate. Each larceny count is punishable by between three to 10 years in prison.

Stephens County Sheriff’s Deputy Rylan Brammer stated he was called the morning of Nov. 4 to the auction house and learned that overnight someone had cut the chain on a loadout gate and stolen a black Angus bull, two red Angus bulls, a Hereford bull and a red Longhorn bull from the sale barn lots, the warrant affidavit states. They’d last been seen at 3 p.m. the afternoon before.

The bulls had been sold on Oct. 20 but the seller was responsible for them until they were to be picked up by the buyer, Brammer stated.

Security video showed a dark colored Ford dually pickup pulling a gooseneck trailer arrive shortly before 11:30 p.m. Nov. 3 and move slowly before coming to a stop and, according to the affidavit, the camera over the loadout shoot stopped recording around 12:15 a.m. Workers discovered the next day that the cord to the camera had been cut and appeared to be missing two feet of cord, the deputy stated.

Brammer made contact with Investigator John Vance from the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and it was learned one of the bulls has been located in Graham, Texas, and was being returned to Comanche, the affidavit states. The investigator determined Dickey and another man and woman who have not been charged were involved.

The other four bulls were located on Nov. 5 by Vance at the ABF Packer Plant, in Dublin, Texas, according to the affidavit. Dickey and the other two were identified as being the ones who dropped them there, Brammer stated.

Cell phone data showed that Dickey was at the Comanche Livestock Auction at the time of the thefts, the affidavit states.

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) has special rangers who investigate livestock theft in both states. According to the TSCRA these rangers investigate about 1,000 cases each year and recover an average of $5 million in stolen assets and cattle.