Owners of Eastern Livestock Co., LLC were indicted today by a Metcalfe County Grand Jury in connection with a check-kiting scheme that resulted in a loss of more than $840,000 by 172 Kentucky cattle producers and others in late 2010. The list of victims includes at least one local cattleman.
The indictments allege Tommy Gibson, Steve McDonald, Darren Brangers and Grant Gibson engaged in organized crime between 2009 and 2010 by collaborating on a continuing basis in a criminal syndicate, the purpose of which was to commit theft. The charges were brought by Attorney General Jack Conway and his Office of Special Prosecutions.
All four defendants were involved in directing the operations of Eastern Livestock Co. More than 280 victims have been identified by the attorney general's office in the case against the defendants with one victim thus far having been identified as residing in Marion, according to Shelley Johnson with the attorney general's office. Johnson said the Marion cattleman was not among those who had brought forward charges as of yet, but the case is ongoing.
The indictment charges all four defendants by complicity with 17 counts of theft by deception over $10,000, 144 counts of theft by deception over $500 and under $10,000 and 11 counts of theft by deception under $500.
Tommy Gibson was also owner the Western Kentucky Livestock Market in Marion, which stopped operating last October after Eastern's financial problems began to surface. Eastern and Gibson have each filed bankruptcy.
