A Kay County commissioner is facing a herd of legal troubles after being hit with 10 felony charges by the Multi-County Grand Jury. Shane Douglas Jones, 36, surrendered himself following an indictment that includes one count of larceny of livestock and nine counts of branding with intent to defraud, a practice as old as the West is wild—minus the romanticism.
Charged with rustling cattle, of all things, between January 1 and February 12, Jones was accused of taking at least nine cows and illicitly marking them as his own. Hired by a cattle auction facility, the indictment outlines a betrayal of trust that led to the alleged theft and branding. In a statement obtained by the Oklahoma Attorney General's office, "Cattle theft is a serious crime that undermines Oklahoma's agricultural industry," Attorney General Gentner Drummond was quoted as saying. "We aren’t afraid to vigorously prosecute those who steal livestock, regardless of their position in the community."
If the allegations stick, Jones could be fenced in for a while, with each count of branding with intent to defraud being punishable with 3-10 years in prison or a fine of $500-$1,000. The more severe charge of larceny of livestock could shepherd in up to 3-10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $500,000 for Jones—penalties that highlight the high stakes in this case in the Agricultural industry of Oklahoma.
