AURORA | An Aurora man is facing two felonies in Texas after investigators there say he swindled a rancher out of more than $30,000 as part of a bogus cattle sale.
Mark David Ray, 57, was indicted last week on charges of theft by deception and false statement to obtain property, both third-degree felonies.
According to the indictment handed down in Lampasas County, Texas, Ray told a man via text message he would sell him 52 pair of cattle for $2,265 a pair. The indictment said the man paid Ray at least $30,000 but not more than $150,000 for the cattle, which he never received. That range is the threshold for felony charge, but officials did not disclose the exact amount of allege fraud.
According to a statement from the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, which investigated the case, Ray told a Stephens County, Texas, man that the cows were being cared for at a ranch in Oklahoma but when the man never received the cattle he called authorities.
Kirk Fulk, Ray’s lawyer, said he is confident Ray will be cleared of the charges.
“I don’t think it has any merit at all,” he said of the indictment.
Fulk said the allegations stem from a “business venture gone south” and said he has documents showing Ray paid the man for the cattle.
“Mr. Ray tried to work it out,” he said.