Baton Rouge, La. –State agencies arrested Deamonte Davon Lee Chatman, of Opelousas, on Nov. 9, 2017 on three counts of livestock theft.
Chatman is accused of stealing three horses, according to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain. The investigation was conducted by LDAF Livestock Brand Commission inspectors,
Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigation’s Gaming Enforcement Division executed the warrant at the Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino and booked the suspect into the St. Landry Parish Jail.
Investigators received a complaint from an Iberia Parish resident who reported that three horses were stolen from the complainant’s property.
Upon investigation, LDAF inspectors said Chatman allegedly stole the complainant’s three horses, checked them in under his name at a Louisiana stockyard.
The horses were sold at auction on July 25, 2017 and payment was made to Chatman. The horses were valued at over $1,000.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of identification like tattoos and microchips,” Strain said in a statement released today. “I encourage all livestock owners to permanently identify their animals to aid in both theft recovery and traceability efforts.”
