William Dalton Edwards, 25, of Mount Airy, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for his involvement in a $1 million livestock theft scheme, said Dena King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Edwards conspired with another individual from April 2018 to October 2022 to defraud livestock markets in Iredell and Cleveland counties in North Carolina, as well as in Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Edwards and his co-conspirator purchased cattle from sales barns in these regions, writing checks that they knew were worthless due to insufficient funds. They then transported the cattle out-of-state before the sales barns and financial institutions could detect the fraudulent checks. The stolen cattle were resold in Texas and Oklahoma.
The investigation revealed that Edwards and his co-conspirator fraudulently obtained over 3,000 head of cattle, causing more than $1 million in losses to the affected sales barns. These barns, many of which are family-owned in North Carolina, had to pay farmers and ranchers immediately after the livestock sales, incurring significant financial losses as a result.
Edwards’ co-conspirator was unnamed in court documents.
Edwards pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and violate federal laws. The conspiracy aimed to impede the Packers and Stockyard Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its regulation of fair livestock markets and to obtain funds from federally insured financial institutions through false statements. It also involved stealing livestock valued at more than $10,000 and transporting stolen livestock across state lines.
Edwards faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, along with potential restitution and fines to be determined by the Court. He has been released on bond, and a sentencing date has not yet been set.
