Cattle on the moove: How five Tennessee cows worth thousands ended up 130 miles from home

Where's the beef?

For one McMinn County rancher, it was about 130 miles west of their Engelwood home in Lincoln County.

Three people face felony theft charges of over $6,000 after investigators say they stole five cows worth thousands of dollars and sold them on Craigslist, according to a Tennessee Department of Agriculture release.

Charged are Gary James Hill, of Sweetwater, Tenn. and Thomas Dewayne Pressley and Donna Ann Vaugh, both of Athens, Tenn.

The McMinn County cattle were taken during the early morning hours of Dec. 3, according to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

It didn't take long for the authorities to find them.

Agriculture Crime Unit Investigator Clint Brookshire was able to track down the cows, which were purchased on Craigslist by a private buyer in Lincoln County.

Pressley and Vaughn were arrested Dec. 6 in Sweetwater while Hill was arrested Dec. 7 in Athens.

The cattle were recovered and returned, and agents were about to recover portions of the money from the fraudulent sale from the private buyer, who is not believed to be associated with the theft, authorities said.

The McMinn County Sheriff’s Department and Sweetwater and Athens Police Departments partnered with the Agriculture Crime Unit in the investigation.

Since July 1, the Agriculture Crime Unit has investigated 271 cases and offenses in Tennessee.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Investigators: Suspects charged after cows taken, sold on Craigslist