Published: February 11, 2009 08:47 am      

Two arrested for cattle rustling

Men allegedly stole cattle, trailer from Rockholds farm

By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer

Two men are were jailed after being charged with cattle rustling Tuesday in Laurel County.

Wesley Hatfield, 20, of Pineville, and Ronnie Anderson, 29, of Barbourville were each charged with 12 counts of receiving stolen property valued at over $300.

Alleged stolen cattle made up the first 11 counts and an allegedly stolen stock trailer accounted for the 12th.

Information on charges against a 17-year-old juvenile also believed to be involved was not available.

According to the London Police Department, officer Bryan Lawson got a tip that stolen cattle from the Rockholds area was to be sold during Patton’s Stock Sales’ regular Tuesday sale.

Taulman Jackson, of Rockholds, who reported the theft of three cows and a calf from his farm on Kentucky 511 Monday night, said in an interview that police at the sales site were “undercover,” and when the alleged rustlers tried to sell the cows and calf to a “pinhooker,” they were arrested.

Pinhooking, is considered the act of buying merchandise at a marketing place so the seller can avoid paying the marketers’ fee for selling it to a third party.

Jackson said the alleged rustlers loaded the cattle in an allegedly stolen trailer, took the trailer with its load “down Devil’s Creek and spent the night” before taking them to London.

He said a week before, four head of his cattle were stolen and sold to pinhookers in London. He said two of them were tracked to a Campbellsville farm, and a third was found to have been sold at Russell Springs.

Jackson said of his loss, “I think I’ll get most of the cattle back, but I’ll have to track them down.”

Another farmer living near Jackson lost some cattle to the alleged rustlers last week, Jackson said. He said that the cattle were apparently sold to pinhookers at the Williams Stock Sale in London at its Monday sale.

“My understanding (of the rustling) is it’s all about drugs,” Jackson said.

Jackson said he runs about 400 head of cattle on separate farms in Whitley and Knox counties.

Assisting Officer Lawson in the investigation were Sgt. Allen Harris, Officer Randy Medlock, Sgt. Matt Moore and Lt. Stewart Walker.