A St. Landry Parish man is accused of stealing 11 head of cattle. Richard P. Breaux, of the 200 block of Noah’s Ark Boulevard, Cankton, was arrested by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Livestock Brand Commission on Aug. 8. Breaux is charged with 11 counts of theft of livestock.
According to investigators, several complaints were received from cattle producers in Southwest Louisiana regarding Breaux’s cattle purchasing activities. Breaux is accused of purchasing cattle by check, leaving with the cattle, then allegedly stop payment on the checks given to the cattle producers. Also, Breaux allegedly sold some of the cattle involved. Investigators were able to recover six of the 11 head of cattle.
Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said, “This is a good reminder to be careful with whom you do business. When selling cattle from your farm, as opposed to a sale barn, make an effort to get some verification on the purchaser’s background before allowing cattle to leave the premises.”
The LDAF Livestock Brand Commission was assisted in this investigation by the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Department.