FORT WORTH, Texas — Jason Lenstrom, an Arizona man arrested and indicted for three felony counts of theft of livestock and one felony count of theft of property, pled guilty to all charges. Lenstrom agreed to nine years deferred adjudication probation, payment of $50,416.98 in restitution and 250 hours of community service for the crimes.
Lenstrom was indicted in August 2021, following an investigation led by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
The charges come after TSCRA Special Ranger Clay McKinney was contacted by the owner of the Rio Grande Classic Livestock Auction in El Paso in March 2021. Lenstrom purchased 126 head of cattle from the auction Jan. 19, 2021 and Feb. 2, 2021. Lenstrom paid for the cattle with three separate checks, totaling more than $50,000, all of which were later declined due to insufficient funds.
Special Ranger McKinney contacted Lenstrom to arrange payment. However, Lenstrom failed to settle his debts. This led to a criminal investigation and indictment of Lenstrom by an El Paso County Grand Jury on three felony counts of theft of livestock and one felony count of theft of property.
Lenstrom was arrested Aug. 23, 2021 in Holbrook, Arizona and bail was set at $60,000.
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and McKinney would like to thank the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this case.
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association’s special rangers are an elite group of law enforcement officers who have extensive knowledge of the cattle industry. While they primarily investigate cattle theft and other agricultural crimes, they are well-trained in all facets of law enforcement. In all, the association has 30 special rangers stationed throughout Texas and Oklahoma who are commissioned through the Texas Department of Public Safety or Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
The special rangers also oversee more than 80 market inspectors who collect data, such as brands and other identifying marks on about 5 million cattle sold at 100 Texas livestock markets each year. That information is entered into the association’s recording and retrieval system, which is a vital tool for law enforcement when investigating theft cases.
For more news releases and information, visit tscra.org.
–Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association