A Kansas cattle buyer and his company have been cleared of all criminal charges after a federal judge found prosecutors did not present enough evidence at trial for the case to go to the jury.
A court notation shows U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten granted the defense’s motion Friday to acquit Randall D. Patterson and the Anthony Livestock Co.
Federal prosecutors had accused the Harper County cattle buyer of wire fraud for allegedly faxing invoices to JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding that falsely inflated the amount paid for cattle.
Defense attorney Kepler Funk said in a news release that they are happy the truth came out, saying their client is innocent.
Jim Cross, spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said in an email he didn’t have anything to add.
