Arrest made in Franklin Parish fraud case

Baton Rouge, La. (July 6, 2020) – Today, a Franklin Parish man was arrested for fraud in connection with the sale of 237 head of cattle valued at more than $272,000.

David L. Rhodes, 75, is charged with one count of disposal of property (livestock) with fraudulent or malicious intent (La. R.S. 14:72.4) in Franklin Parish.

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Brand Commission inspectors said the investigation resulted from a complaint by a financial institution in which Rhodes took out a loan in September 2013 to purchase cattle but never repaid the loans when he sold the cattle. The lien covered the farm equipment and cattle.

LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said, “Our brand inspectors use extensive investigative resources when determining the facts of a case. In these types of fraud investigations, our brand inspectors follow the money on the sale of the cattle involved and ultimately trace it back to the suspect or suspects involved.”

The Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office assisted in this arrest. Bond has been set at $2,500.