Alliance, NE – On September 4, 2013, the five members of the Nebraska Brand Committee (NBC), reaffirmed its position that violation of Nebraska’s Livestock Brand Act is a big deal and warrants increased enforcement, as well as stiffer penalties upon conviction. The Committee is comprised of at least three active cattlepersons and at least one active cattle feeder.

The NBC was created by the Legislature to protect Nebraska brand and livestock owners from the theft of livestock through established brand recording, brand inspection and livestock theft investigation.

On June 19, 2013, Micky D. Davis of Ainsworth, NE was sentenced in Brown County District Court following a plea agreement that was reached on April 29, 2013, in which he pled guilty to 2 counts of Theft, a Class IV Felony.

On Monday, May 7, 2012, Dusty Dugan of St. Paul, NE waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Nance County Court in Fullerton, NE. He was bound over to District Court on one count of Selling Cattle Without Bill of Sale or Power of Attorney, a Class III Felony and one count of Theft of Livestock valued over $1,500.00, a Class III Felony. Dugan was also charged with one count, Leaving the Nebraska Brand Inspection Area Without Brand Inspection, a Class II Misdemeanor.

Alliance, NE — The members of the Nebraska Brand Committee have set the date of June 1, 2012 to begin assessing the surcharge as established by the passage of Legislative Bill 181 in 2011.

The Nebraska Brand Committee began the process of establishing Agency Rules and Regulations for the implementation of the surcharge on August 26, 2011. The final rule was approved by Governor Dave Heineman and was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office on December 16, 2011.

On Wednesday, March 7, 2012, Brown County Judge James Orr found evidence to bind Micky D. Davis, 58 of rural Brown County, NE over to District Court on 3 counts of Class III Felony, prohibited branding with the intent to deprive the owner and 3 counts of Class IV Felony theft. Court records show that Micky D. Davis branded 3 head of cattle allegedly owned by 2 different neighbors in the fall of 2010.

On February 10, 2012, Duane W. Bolton of rural Cherry County was sentenced in the Cherry County District Court by District Judge Mark Kozisek following a guilty plea in December of 2011.

Duane W. Bolton was sentenced to 30 days in the Cherry County Jail, 5 years probation, a fine of $5,000.00, other court costs amounting to $306.75, and pay restitution to the victim of the crime, Mark Nutter, in the amount of $1,700.00.

Alliance, NE — On January 7, 2011, Legislative Bill (LB)181 was introduced into Nebraska’s One Hundred Second Legislative Session of the Unicameral, relating to the Livestock Brand Act, to establish a surcharge.

On January 18, 2012, Douglas M. Wright of Ewing, NE entered a guilty plea in Holt County Court, O’Neill, NE, to Violation of Nebraska Statute 54-1, 126, of the Nebraska Livestock Brand Act a Class II Misdemeanor.

According to the complaint, he moved cattle from a point within the brand inspection area to a point outside the brand inspection area without first having said cattle brand inspected by the Nebraska Brand Committee and obtaining a certificate of inspection.

Mr. Wright was fined $200.00, plus $49.00 in court costs and other fees.

Alliance, NE- On January 11, 2012, Micky D. Davis, 58 of rural Brown County, Nebraska was arrested by a Nebraska Brand Committee Criminal Investigator, the Brown County Sheriff and a Brown County Deputy. Davis was arrested on three counts of Class III Felony charges of selling or offering for sale livestock without the bill of sale, power of attorney from the owner of such livestock authorizing the sale, or other satisfactory evidence of ownership and three counts of Class III Felony charges of branding livestock with the intent to deprive such owner of the livestock.