Meat theft nationwide crime trend

[seamusTX]

Every once in a while I run into someone selling meat out of a truck, which is obviously dodgy. One time a bum approached me at a gas station with a steak that still had the Kroger label on it. But I did not realize how widespread this trend is.

Police in Austin broke up a ring of professional shoplifters who were stealing meat from grocery stores and selling it to restaurants, literally at the back door. Police then ran a sting, getting the restaurants to buy meat represented as stolen until they could level felony charges.

Aside from being a crime, this practice results in unrefrigerated and unsanitary meat getting into the food chain.

In various incidents entire truckloads of meat and live cattle have been stolen. Texas has had over 700 cattle rustling incidents so far this year.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/201 ... ants_n.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BTW, theft of livestock or animal products is always a felony in Texas. Even theft of a wool scarf could be prosecuted as a felony, though usually it is not.

- Jim

[Sidro]

Several years ago to be considered grand theft felony in Texas you had to steal more than 10 head of sheep, swine or goats and more than 7 head of cattle. I don't know if the law is still this way or not. I never could understand this because grand theft was considered over $750 and one cow and no more than 2 cows depending on the market met this criteria.

While large ranch operations have cattle theft problems, it is more consigned to smaller operations where cattle are in smaller pastures and being around people more are gentler than large ranch cattle therefore being easier to gather and load. Many cattle on these places can be fed into a portable pen or trailer and then loaded and driven off with.

In a very short time(30 minutes or less) they can be loaded and on the way to New Mexico, Oklahoma or other states to be sold. Many times even the trailers to haul them are stolen and sold also.

[seamusTX]

The legislature has been cranking up the penalties for some property crimes. The penalty for theft is in Penal Code 31.03:

(4) a state jail felony if:
(A) the value of the property stolen is $1,500 or more but less than $20,000, or the property is less than 10 head of sheep, swine, or goats or any part thereof under the value of $20,000;
(5) a felony of the third degree if the value of the property stolen is $20,000 or more but less than $100,000, or the property is:
(A) cattle, horses, or exotic livestock or exotic fowl as defined by Section 142.001, Agriculture Code, stolen during a single transaction and having an aggregate value of less than $100,000; ...

It gets more serious for higher values of aggregate theft.

The exotic fowl clause has some interesting consequences. It makes stealing a single egg of a guinea hen, for example, a felony.

- Jim

[Bullwhip]

Steal meat? The way things are going now, some rancher with a hundred head is going to come home and find someone has cut his fence... and left him a hundred more!

[Ameer]

They should do a reality crime show called "Where's the Beef?"

[seamusTX]

Here's another one: In Fredericksburg five people were arrested and charged with the theft of 6,000 lambs.

http://www.chron.com/news/article/5-jai ... 160122.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The mind boggles at that number. This had to be some kind of ongoing theft. Six thousand live lambs would fill hundreds of trailers.

- Jim

[fishman]

Those guys have been cruisin my neighborhood selling steaks too. I think next time I'll tell them to come back in a hour when I have time, ( time to call my local LEO that is).

[seamusTX]

The guys selling meat door-to-door probably will say they bought it from a guy in a white truck at the flea market, and don't remember his name. I don't know what the cops can do with them as long as they have the proper permits and don't have outstanding warrants.

- Jim

[bayouhazard]

What's the chance they have the proper paperwork to sell food, and a soliciting permit if that's required where he lives?

I bet those guys in Fredericksburg are feeling pretty sheepish right about now.

[fishman]

You mention permits to the guys in my neighborhood and its see ya!

[Middle Age Russ]

Just had a beef processed by folks I have not used before. Long story short, I am convinced that I did not receive all the meat from the animal I took in. I don't know if it was theft -- as in they knowingly misappropriated what should have been mine -- an unacceptable amount of loss due to dry aging too long, or they accidentally gave someone else part of my beef. They charged me based on a hanging weight that was significantly lighter than it should have been, so I am leaning toward the theft theory. Regardless, I will not be using them again since any of these possibilities were in their control. I anyone is in the north Harris County, Montgomery County, Liberty County area and needs a referral to a meat processor, drop me a PM and I can tell you who not to use.