Agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and detectives from the Polk County Florida Sheriff's Office were in Statham recently to recover approximately 50 head of stolen cattle.
According to authorities, Jeremy Bryan Best, of 1834 Fort Shawnee Trace in Dacula, stole the cattle in Florida and then transported them to Georgia where he engaged in illegally selling them. Best, the incident report stated, made arrangements to board the cattle in a pasture in Statham.
The owner of the pasture told authorities he was charging Best $600 per month and $35 per bale of hay. However, Best reportedly stopped paying approximately four months ago and owed the pasture owner $2,400 in boarding fees and $420 for 12 rolled bales of hay.
A Barrow County Sheriff's deputy, GBI agents and detectives with the Polk County Florida Sheriff's Office took Best into custody in Winder on June 20 on a charge of cattle theft. Best was transported to the Barrow County Detention Center to await extradition to Florida.
The owner of the pasture was informed of the procedures to file a civil suit should he wish to attempt to recover the boarding fees and hay costs from Best. Authorities made arrangements for the cattle to be housed until the owners could drive up from Florida and retrieve them.
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