Rancher sentenced to 11 years in prison for $244 million 'ghost cattle' scheme

[TexasTowelie]

Oct. 5 (UPI) -- A rancher in eastern Washington has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after bilking two companies out of $244 million over several years in a "ghost cattle" scheme, according to court documents.

Cody Allen Easterday, of Mesa, Wash., was convicted of defrauding multinational food producer Tyson Foods as well as a second unnamed company, the Justice Department said in a statement Tuesday.

Easterday charged the two companies for the costs of buying and feeding approximately 265,000 cattle that never existed. He entered a guilty plea in March in U.S. District Court of the District of Eastern Washington.

The 51-year-old's lawyers argued in late September for a sentence of three years probation and a year of house arrest.

Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/10/05/rancher-ghost-cattle-prison-sentence/6651665003422/

[bucolic_frolic]

1. That is a stiff penalty for financial fraud

That would even raise eyebrows on Wall Street.

[twodogsbarking]

2. There aren't enough courts to prosecute all of the crooks on Wall Street.

I think we found that out when Bush2 was Pres.

[3Hotdogs]

3. Local paper reports sentences of 2 or three years for financial fraud. But those criminals only

defrauded the elderly and people looking for mates so it doesn't count too much.

This guy defrauded a large corporation. So that counts much more.... can't have that shit going on.

[Wounded Bear]

5. Sad, but true...It's like Bernie Madoff. You can't cheat the big guys...nt

[Fullduplexxx]

4. He should have just tried to overthrow the government