Nebraska Brand Committee

Brand With Pride ~ Protect Your Livestock

Holt County Man Sentenced in Cattle Case

Alliance, NE — Levi A. Hollenbeck of Ainsworth, NE was sentenced on August 25, 2014 by the District Court of Holt County, NE to 180 days in the Holt County Jail and 3 years probation following his adjudged guilty charge on July 14, 2014 of sell, trade or dispose of livestock without a bill of sale, a Class III Felony.  

The conditions of his probation included, but were not limited to the initial term of imprisonment shall commence immediately and shall continue for 30 consecutive days.  The second term of 90 consecutive days and the third term of 60 consecutive days may be waived by the court upon the recommendation of the probation officer.  He is to apologize in person to the manager and one employee of the Rolling Stone Feedyard, the victim of the crime within 30 days after the commencement of probation.  

Hollenbeck was ordered to pay $145.00 in court costs, a $30.00 probation administrative enrollment fee and a monthly probation programming fee of $25.00 per month.  According to court documents, on November 22, 2013 a Nebraska Brand Committee brand inspector was called to perform a change of ownership inspection at a feedlot West and North of Atkinson, NE.  Upon his arrival the brand inspector was presented with 11 black and blackwhite faced steers.  The brand inspector was advised by the alleged seller, Levi Hollenbeck, that he had received the cattle from Rolling Stone Feedlot of Ainsworth in return for labor.   Hollenbeck presented the brand inspector with a partially filled out bill of sale supposedly signed by an employee of the feedlot.  Questioning the authenticity of the bill of sale the brand inspector contacted the feedlot employee and was advised he had not signed such a bill of sale.

The brand inspector contacted his Nebraska Brand Committee area criminal investigator and the cattle were seized, hauled to a safe location and impounded behind locked gates.  On January 28, 2014, a criminal complaint and information was filed in the County Court of Holt County, NE charging Hollenbeck with one count of Theft (Receiving Stolen Property) a Class III Felony and one count of Sell, Trade or Dispose of Livestock Without a Bill of Sale, a Class III Felony.