Robert Mitchell Self, 32, of Wolfe City, Texas, surrendered to Fannin County authorities in November for hindering a secured creditor. Self was also arrested in October for theft of livestock in Rains County.
Both charges follow investigations by Special Rangers of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA).
In the latest case, Special Ranger Troy McKinney and Bonham Police Department Detective Terry Edington began an investigation after a representative of Fannin Bank contacted them. The bank alleges that Self borrowed $750,000 for the purchase of cattle but quit making payments on the loan in 2018. The subsequent investigation revealed that Self had sold the animals and failed to apply those proceeds to the banknote, resulting in estimated losses of more than $500,000.
After his surrender, Self was booked and released on a $50,000 bond. He will face a first-degree felony charge of hindering a secured creditor, which carries a sentence to 5-99 years in prison, fines of up to $10,000 and restitution.
Special Ranger Bo Fox investigated the earlier Rains County case. According to Fox, Self purchased more than $80,000 worth of cattle at the Emory Livestock Commission throughout the summer of 2017. He took possession of the cattle but failed to make any payment for them until the investigation began a year later. As of his arrest, he still owed approximately $40,000.
Self was indicted by a Rains County grand jury on one charge of theft of livestock, a third-degree felony. If convicted, Self could spend up to 10 years in prison and pay restitution and fines of up to $10,000.
TSCRA would like to thank Special Rangers Troy McKinney and Bo Fox for their work on both cases, as well as the Bonham Police Department, Detective Terry Edington, Fannin County District Attorney Richard Glaser, and the Rains County District Attorney’s office.
Cattle rustling, there is no excuse but maybe pure desperation. No excuse to take another’s property. However, sounds like he didn’t steel anyone cattle but sold the Cattle on the loan but came up short. It should be illegal for a bank to set up a loan where the intent is to sell the cattle in a operation and they are doing it intentionally. Cattle are living animals and have a cost associated with them to keep alive in a humane way. You cant volunteerly surrender the collateral. The bank won’t come pick them up. If they do it’s with intent to charge you because they know you sold them because you cant afford to feed them. If he would have allowed them to starve to death and die he would not have been charged. However that’s not humane. One could argue that its predatory lending. Then use the threat of the law and the DA to collect a debt. By arresting someone twice for the same loan. Wood county does the same. Cattle are a living animal that have a cost to keep alive. If you know anyone about to take a cattle loan from a bank make sure they know what your getting in to. I Dont know this man or this situation personally but it should be illegal for a lender to structure a loan like this. I will not do any business with a bank that structure loans like this. I know someone that is going thru this in wood county. I would be surprised if it’s not the same loan writer.