William Dalton Edwards, a 26-year-old resident of Mount Airy, North Carolina, has been sentenced to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his involvement in a cattle theft scheme. The sentence was announced by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term, Edwards is required to pay $334,350.46 in restitution to the victims.
The investigation revealed that between April 2018 and October 2022, Edwards and his co-conspirator Clint Clifford Sicking engaged in fraudulent activities at livestock markets in Iredell and Cleveland Counties. They purchased cattle using checks they knew were worthless due to insufficient funds. The stolen cattle were transported out-of-state and resold in Texas and Oklahoma before the fraud could be detected.
Court records indicate that their actions resulted in losses exceeding $350,000 for family-owned sales barns in North Carolina. These establishments are obligated to pay farmers immediately after livestock sales, which amplified their financial losses.
Edwards pleaded guilty on August 2, 2024, to charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States and violating federal laws related to livestock market regulation. His co-conspirator Sicking has also admitted guilt and is awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson acknowledged the collaborative efforts of various agencies involved in investigating this case: USDA-OIG, U.S. Secret Service, IRS-CI, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, Stanly County District Attorney’s Office, Packers and Stockyard Division of USDA, and Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Rangers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage is leading the prosecution from Charlotte’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
