Deputies round up Exeter man in ‘21st century cattle rustling’ across the West

An Exeter man is in custody in connection with what Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux calls “21st century cattle rustling” in a case with ties ranging from California to Texas, Wyoming and Colorado.

Boudreaux identified Justin Tyler Greer, 36, arrested Dec. 28 in Tarzan, Texas, as the suspect in cattle theft, investment fraud and embezzlement that left seven victims with a loss of $1.5 million. The sheriff announced the arrest Thursday at a news conference at sheriff’s headquarters in Visalia. He said 900 head of cattle have been recovered. Greer was arrested by Tulare deputies with assistance from Texas Rangers, U.S. Marshals and other officers. He is being held on $1.9 million bail.

“We … take it very seriously when one man steals another man’s cattle,” said the sheriff, adding that in Tulare County, trust in a man’s word is very much alive.

Investigation of the case began in June 2017 when agricultural crimes detectives where contacted by seven victims who identified Greer as the suspect, a sheriff’s spokeswoman reported. Greer is a well-known Tulare County cattleman who bought and sold large numbers of cattle, many in other states. When Greer failed to meet financial obligations, two victims began a headcount and discovered they were coming up short – by hundreds of cows. Livestock detectives found that 900 head of cattle had been shipped to Wyoming by Greer.

Detectives authored more than 25 search warrants in the case and learned that Greer was doing business through “a multitude” of financial institutions. The spokeswoman said detectives reviewed thousands of documents and other evidence leading to his arrest.

This story was originally published January 4, 2018 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Deputies round up Exeter man in ‘21st century cattle rustling’ across the West."