Buyer of wild horses under investigation by state, feds
by Dave Philipps, Special to ProPublica
A southern Colorado human being nether investigation for his treatment of protected wild horses has admitted to nation regulators that he shipped animals out of Colorado inwards violation of build inspection laws, officials said.
Officials with the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Brand Inspection Division create got turned the illustration involving Tom Davis over to the district attorney inwards Alamosa for prosecution.
“The build laws are roughly of the oldest laws inwards the state. They are in that location to forbid livestock theft in addition to nosotros accept them real seriously,” Brand Commissioner Chris Whitney said.
Davis, 64, a livestock hauler in addition to proponent of the Equus caballus meat manufacture who lives inwards La Jara, fifteen miles southwest of Alamosa, has purchased to a greater extent than than 1,700 wild horses from the federal Bureau of Land Management since 2008 – roughly seventy per centum of all horses sold past times the agency.
Davis signed agreements with the BLM, which is charged with managing in addition to protecting wild horses, promising non to sell whatever to slaughter.
As detailed inwards an investigation published past times ProPublica inwards September, Davis has build inspection documents for 765 horses, which say he shipped these animals to Texas towns close the Mexican border.
There is no information nigh disposition of the other horses he purchased from the BLM. In an interview this spring, Davis said he institute the horses practiced homes, but declined to render records showing what happened to them. Reached past times telephone at his dwelling this week, he said in ane trial again that he has lived upward to his sale contracts with the BLM.
Animal welfare advocates fearfulness the mustangs purchased past times Davis were exported to Mexican slaughter plants.
An estimated 37,000 wild horses, descended from escaped Castilian steeds in addition to Indian ponies, every bit good every bit ranch strays, roam world lands inwards the West, where they create got been protected past times constabulary for decades. Selling them for slaughter is illegal.
The ProPublica trouble organization human relationship caught the attending of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, which requires all livestock inwards Colorado to live on inspected past times the nation when shipped over nation lines to forbid livestock theft.
Whitney interviewed Davis at his household on Nov half dozen in addition to said Davis was “very candid” inwards acknowledging that he had illegally shipped horses out of the nation without the required inspections. Whitney declined to give details of the conversation, but said it was plenty for him to recommend prosecution.
“Sometimes nosotros number a ticket, but this is a serious violation,” said Whitney.
Davis acknowledged he had spoken to Whitney, but said he was non aware he could facial expression upward prosecution.
The build purpose is turning over the illustration to Colorado’s twelfth Judicial District Attorney, David Mahoney, Whitney said.
If convicted, penalties attain from a pocket-size fine to prison theatre time, depending on whether the violations, which records advise bridge years in addition to many truckloads of horses, are charged every bit ane infraction or hundreds.
“That is upward to the prosecuting attorney,” Whitney said.
The district attorney could non live on reached for comment.
Davis is also the dependent champaign of a federal investigation. The probe was opened inwards June past times the BLM’s constabulary enforcement division, but is at nowadays existence handled past times the the U.S.A. Department of Interior Office of Inspector General, according to Interior spokesman Blake Androff. Often the inspector full general takes over cases inwards which in that location is a potential conflict or involvement past times the agency.
“By constabulary in addition to inwards practice, the IG’s purpose is independent from the Office of the Secretary,” Androff said.
The inspector general’s purpose did non response to questions nigh the dependent champaign in addition to orbit of its inquiry.
Wild Equus caballus advocates welcomed the tidings of the potential prosecution, but said whatever investigation would live on incomplete until it includes the actions of the Bureau of Land Management in addition to its parent agency, the Department of Interior.
“Let’s larn real. There is no way the BLM could shout out upward mortal was buying that many unadoptable horses for anything but slaughter,” said Laura Leigh, manager of the Nevada-based advocacy grouping Wild Horse Education. “The people who sold those horses are simply every bit culpable. This is a breach of world trust in addition to in that location needs to live on roughly accountability.”
To hold the wild Equus caballus population on the attain at target levels, the BLM rounds upward thousands of horses each twelvemonth in addition to encourages Blue Planet to adopt them. Most horses, however, are non adopted in addition to instead larn into a government-funded organization of feedlots in addition to pastures that take hold to a greater extent than than 47,000 animals – 10,000 to a greater extent than than are inwards the wild.
The organization is at capacity in addition to accounts for most of the BLM’s wild Equus caballus budget.
BLM spokesman Tom Gorey described the means every bit existence “in a existent bind.”
Emails alongside BLM staff obtained through a Freedom of Information Act asking exhibit the BLM turned to Davis every bit a way to larn horses out of authorities care. BLM employees would contact Davis, encouraging him to purchase dozens of mustangs at a time, sight unseen.
Davis was vague inwards communications with the means nigh his plans for the hundreds of untamed horses, according to BLM documents, maxim he was going to exercise them every bit painting extras or sell them to graze on crude fields.
Davis is a song proponent of the Equus caballus slaughter manufacture in addition to has tried to opened upward his ain plant.
“Hell, roughly of the finest meat you lot volition e'er consume is a fatty yearling colt,” he said inwards an interview inwards May. “What is incorrect with taking all those BLM horses they got all fatty in addition to shiny in addition to setting upward a kill plant?”
The BLM did non crusade to verify his claims nigh where the horses went. When concerns were raised past times Equus caballus advocates, the sale programme manager who approved Davis’ purchases assured them that the buyer inwards enquiry had a long human relationship with the BLM in addition to was “above reproach,” according to an electronic mail Sandra Longley, ane of the advocates who had misgivings nigh Davis, sent to other advocates.
In the past, the BLM has arrested wild Equus caballus buyers for attempting to send horses to Texas to sell for slaughter.
In 2011, the means arrested 2 Utah men, Robert Capson in addition to Dennis Kunz, with a truckload of 64 wild horses leap for Texas, where, according to a federal indictment, they planned to sell the animals to an exporter for slaughter. The 2 were charged with wire fraud in addition to making fake statements, both felonies. Capson pleaded guilty this summer. Kunz is awaiting trial.
The North Carolina-based American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign is calling for a congressional oversight hearing on the BLM’s administration of the wild Equus caballus program.
“We are pleased the nation of Colorado is acting instantly to take hold Davis accountable,” said Suzanne Roy, the group’s director. “But what nigh the BLM? They demand to live on held accountable too.”
This story was co-published with the Colorado Springs Gazette.
To contact Dave Philipps nigh this story, electronic mail him at horse@propublica.org.
About the author
ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism inwards Blue Planet interest. Its function focuses entirely on genuinely of import stories, stories with “moral force.” It does this past times producing journalism that shines a low-cal on exploitation of the weak past times the strong in addition to on the failures of those with mightiness to vindicate the trust placed inwards them. Its website is at http://www.propublica.org
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