Vermont Judge Sentences Cattle Thief To 38 Months In Prison
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. (AP) — A modern-day cattle rustler is serving more than three years in jail after pleading guilty to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud 13 ranchers out of more than $2 million.
A federal judge in Vermont this week sentenced 28-year-old Jason Amidon of Coudersport, Pennsylvania, to 38 months in prison and ordered him to pay nearly $145,000 in restitution.
Federal prosecutors say Amidon brokered fake contracts and paid with counterfeit checks for the purchase and sale of cattle from 13 ranchers across the country, including two in Vermont.
Authorities say he gave a Lyndonville farmer a counterfeit check for $100,000 for 55 Belted Galloway cattle and calves, then sold the cattle for beef — contrary to his representations they were going to a farm in Minnesota.
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