Two arrested for cattle rustling

LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. - A Lauderdale County man and a St. Joseph, Tenn., man have been accused of modern-day cattle rustling.

Lawrenceburg Police Chief Judy Moore said Thursday the two men were arrested on grand jury indictments of multiple counts of felony theft for their involvement in a cattle rustling spree in October and November.

Moore said 21-year-old Corey Brent Dean, of Rogersville, and Thomas Christopher Roberson, 21, of St. Joseph, Tenn., were each indicted on three counts of felony theft and one count of attempted theft at farms on Rosson Road and Robert Road where 12 cows and two calves were taken and sold at out-of-town sale barns.

"They hit three different farms and were preparing for a fourth when we were able to make the arrests," said Capt. Anthony Nugent.

Nugent said the farms are isolated. "These guys would go out there at night for a couple of weeks and feed the cattle sweet feed," Nugent said. "After a couple of weeks, they would use the feed to get the cattle to come into a catch pen and then load them up in a truck and take them to be sold."

The Lawrence County (Tenn.) Sheriff's Office assisted in the case.

Moore said Dean and Roberson were both released from jail on $20,000 bail and are scheduled to appear in Lawrence County Circuit Court on April 13.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.