FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Special Ranger, sheriff's department recover
$70,000 worth of stolen property

FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 20, 2007—Working together, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the Tulsa County (Okla.) Sheriff’s Office have recovered $70,000 worth of stolen property in a joint investigation in the Tulsa County area.
      This is the second theft ring the special rangers have investigated this summer, with the first resulting in recovering $19,000 worth of saddles.
      The latest investigation began when TSCRA Special Ranger John Cummings, who serves District 4 in northeastern Oklahoma, received three reports of missing saddles and other tack in Tulsa and Osage Counties between July 9 and July 16. In each incidence, the suspects used bolt cutters to enter the barn or trailer where the tack was stored during the night or early morning.
      Special Ranger Cummings contacted Deputy Jim Wolfe of the Tulsa County Sheriff office and the two began a joint investigation into the crimes.
      On July 17, Cummings and Wolfe began searching area pawnshops and notified the deputies in Tulsa and Osage counties about the thefts and to be aware of anyone selling or pawning saddles.
      The next day, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office received a tip indicating someone was trying to pawn a western saddle at a local pawnshop.  Tulsa County uniformed deputies responded and arrested Quinton Murphy, Tulsa, on charges of knowingly concealing stolen property and false declaration of ownership, both felony crimes.
      Information obtained from this arrest led to a search warrant being issued for a home in south Tulsa. Special Ranger Cummings joined Deputy Wolfe and Investigator Todd Cole of the Tulsa County Sheriff Office in the joint investigation of these crimes.  During the subsequent search of the home on July 18, nine additional saddles, a large amount of assorted tack and equine equipment, and three horses were seized.
      Based on information obtained during the search warrant and interviews of suspects, Special Ranger Cummings, Deputy Wolfe and Tulsa County deputies began searching pawnshops in the Tulsa County area.  During the investigation over the next several days a total of 18 additional saddles were recovered and held as evidence.
      Also during the joint investigation, 14 of the 15 saddles originally reported stolen to Special Ranger Cummings were identified and recovered.
      The joint investigation is continuing at this time, with charges and warrants pending on at least three additional suspects in Tulsa County. Additional suspects and possible charges are still being investigated.  The joint investigation has also revealed that at least five subjects have been involved in at least 10 burglaries involving saddles, tack, horses, four wheelers, feed and possibly vehicles.
      TSCRA currently has 28 special rangers stationed strategically throughout Texas and Oklahoma who have in-depth knowledge of the cattle industry and are trained in all facets of law enforcement. All are commissioned as Special Rangers by the Texas Department of Public Safety and/or the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.  

      Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is a 130-year-old trade organization whose 14,900 members manage approximately 5.4 million cattle on 70.3 million acres of range and pasture land, primarily in Texas and Oklahoma.

Click here for a photo of Special Ranger Cummings and Deputy Wolfe with some of the items they have recovered in this investigation. (For a high-resolution copy of this photo, contact Katrina Waters at kwaters@texascattleraisers.org )

 TSCRA–25–2007