A Saskatchewan man has been charged with altering the brands of almost 200 cattle. The 52-year-old, who is from the Rural Municipality of Martin, faces one count of altering a brand on cattle as well as a count of fraud over $5,000. The incident was first reported to the Livestock Services of Saskatchewan on July 6, prompting the organization to investigate alongside Moosomin RCMP and the RCMP’s Livestock Investigator. The heads of 197 cattle were inspected – with investigators finding that 99 of them had an altered brand applied over-top of their original brands. It was found that the remaining 98 had been branded fraudulently with a new brand. The 52-year-old is scheduled to appear in Moosomin Provincial Court on Sept. 15. “Saskatchewan RCMP recognizes the important economic value of livestock to producers and rural communities across the province,” Cpl. Owen Third, a livestock investigator with Saskatchewan RCMP said in a news release. “This investigation demonstrates our continued commitment and partnership with Livestock Services of Saskatchewan to thoroughly investigating livestock crime and protecting Saskatchewan’s agricultural sector.”
