William Dalton Edwards, a 26-year-old resident of Mount Airy, North Carolina, has been sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for his involvement in a livestock theft scheme. The sentence was announced by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Edwards is also required to pay $334,350.46 in restitution to the victims.
The case involved a conspiracy with Clint Clifford Sicking to defraud livestock markets in Iredell and Cleveland Counties, North Carolina. From April 2018 to October 2022, Edwards and Sicking purchased cattle using worthless checks, knowing they lacked sufficient funds. They transported the cattle out-of-state before the financial institutions could identify the fraud and resold them in Texas and Oklahoma. The fraudulent activities resulted in losses exceeding $350,000 for family-owned sales barns in North Carolina.
Edwards pleaded guilty on August 2, 2024, to charges of conspiring to defraud the United States and violating federal laws. The conspiracy aimed to obstruct the Packers and Stockyard Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture from regulating fair livestock markets. Other objectives included obtaining funds through false statements from federally insured financial institutions and transporting stolen livestock across state lines.
Sicking has also pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson acknowledged the investigative efforts of multiple agencies including 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 prosecuting the case.
