Today, Explained The great American cattle swindle
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Feb 10, 2023 Anna King, a correspondent for Northwest Public Broadcasting and creator of the podcast Ghost Herd, dives into the astonishing tale of Cody Easterday, a rancher who embezzled $244 million through a fabricated 'ghost herd.' She unpacks the dramatic theft of 265,000 cattle and the legal repercussions that followed. The discussion touches on the pressures of modern ranching, the impact on the agricultural community, and even how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unexpectedly benefited from this scandal. It's a wild ride through deception and its fallout!
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The Initial Discovery
- Cody Easterday, a rancher, was exposed for a $244 million cattle swindle.
- Reporter Anna King learned of this from a source, sparking an investigation.
A Modern Cattle Rustling
- Cattle rustling has existed for centuries, but Easterday's crime was a modern, paper-based version.
- He falsified records to make it appear he had more cattle than he did.
The Easterday Empire
- Cody Easterday and his father built a large, successful ranching and farming operation.
- Their business spanned three states and included fleets of trucks, a private jet, and hundreds of employees.