North Dakota Man Charged in Alleged Cattle Theft Scheme

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A Colfax, North Dakota man named Daniel Dockter has been charged with two counts of felony theft for allegedly stealing over $650,000 worth of cattle from two Benson County ranchers. Dockter had partial agreements to care for the ranchers' cattle on his property, but an investigation found that the branded cattle belonging to the ranchers were never located on Dockter's farm.

Why it matters

Cattle theft is a major problem for ranchers in the Midwest, with millions of dollars in livestock stolen each year. This case highlights the need for stronger oversight and accountability measures to protect ranchers from unscrupulous individuals who may take advantage of partial care agreements to steal their livestock.

The details

According to court documents, in 2019 one rancher had 93 head of cows and 3 bulls delivered to Dockter's property under a partial agreement. In 2021, another rancher had 40 cows moved there under a similar arrangement. However, when authorities executed a search warrant on Dockter's property on January 8, they found 165 head of cattle, but none of them were the branded cattle belonging to the two ranchers. Dockter allegedly told the ranchers their cattle were at a fictitious feedlot in South Dakota.

• In 2019, one rancher had 93 head of cows and 3 bulls delivered to Dockter's property.
• In 2021, another rancher had 40 cows moved to Dockter's property.
• On January 8, authorities executed a search warrant on Dockter's property.

What’s next

The judge will decide whether to allow Dockter to be released on bail.