CHARLOTTE, N.C. – William Dalton Edwards, 25, of Mount Airy, N.C., pleaded guilty Friday to a conspiracy charge for his role in a $1 million scheme involving the theft of livestock, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Miles B. Davis, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA-OIG), Southeast Region; Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office; Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office; Sheriff Alan Norman of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office; and Sheriff Darren Campbell of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office joined U.S. Attorney King in making the announcement.

According to plea documents and the plea hearing, from April 2018 to October 2022, Edwards conspired with another person to defraud livestock markets, also known as sales barns, in Iredell and Cleveland Counties, North Carolina, and in Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia. The investigation determined that, on multiple occasions during the relevant time frame, Edwards and his co-conspirator purchased cattle from sales barns in North Carolina and wrote checks to pay for the cattle. Edwards and his co-conspirator wrote such checks knowing they were worthless, since there were insufficient funds to cover the checks and pay for the cattle.

According to court records, Edwards and his co-conspirator arranged to transport the cattle out-of-state before the defrauded sales barns and financial institutions could determine their checks were worthless. The stolen cattle were then resold in Texas and Oklahoma. Over the course of the scheme, Edwards and his co-conspirator fraudulently obtained more than 3,000 head of cattle and caused over $1 million in losses to sales barns in North Carolina, Virginia and Texas. The sales barns—which are family-owned in North Carolina—incurred these losses because they are required to pay farmers and ranchers immediately after the sale of their livestock.

Edwards pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to violate the laws of the United States. One of the objects of the charged conspiracy was to hamper and impede the Packers and Stockyard Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its regulation of fair livestock markets. Other objects of the conspiracy included a scheme to obtain funds under the custody and control of federally insured financial institutions through false statements and representations; to steal livestock valued at more than $10,000; and to transport stolen livestock in interstate commerce.

The statutory maximum for the charged offense is five years in prison, and any restitution or fines ordered by the Court at sentencing. Edwards is released on bond. A sentencing date has not been sent.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the USDA-OIG, the U.S. Secret Service, IRS-CI, and the Cleveland and Iredell County Sheriff’s Offices for their investigation of the case. U.S. Attorney King also thanked the Stanly County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.