Two NC men have just been arrested for stealing and selling cattle under a fake name, according to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators say Randall Ray Burgess and Zachary Banks Todd stole three calves from a farm on Royal Ridge Road on October 17. After taking the livestock, Todd allegedly transported them to neighboring Chatham County, where he sold the animals at the Carolina Stockyard for just under $5,500.
Authorities say Todd used a false identity to complete the sale. The stolen calves have since been recovered, and Todd now faces multiple charges related to theft and fraud.
This case comes nearly a year after one of North Carolina’s most notorious cattle thefts. In that incident, a Charlotte-area man used fake checks to purchase 3,000 cows, then drove them to Texas and sold them for $1.1 million. Federal prosecutors later charged him with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture after all the checks bounced.
Officials say both cases underscore the need for stronger verification measures at livestock markets and better interstate tracking of agricultural sales.
