Livestock Dealer Faces Check Charge

A federal agency has charged former Spokane livestock dealer, Vernon “Bud” Brandenburg, with issuing bad checks totaling $762,547.

Brandenburg eventually covered most of the checks - but only after repeatedly violating the Packers and Stockyards Act over a 10-month period in 1993-94, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a complaint. The act requires full payment for livestock within one day of a sale.

The complaint was filed Sept. 11 in Washington, D.C., against Brandenburg and his company, Western Cattle Inc.

Brandenburg said he no longer is in the cattle business and disbanded Western Cattle last year. His attorney said Brandenburg has yet to decide whether to fight the charges, which could carry a civil penalty and cease-and-desist order on future cattle trades.

On five separate occasions from July 1993 through April 1994, Brandenburg bought livestock at stockyards in Visalia and Cottonwood, Calif., the complaint said. In each case, the checks were returned for non-sufficient funds.

USDA said Brandenburg covered the bad checks in every case but the last one. The agency claims the livestock dealer has not paid the entire $347,556 for 650 heifers bought in April 1994 at the Shasta Livestock Auction Yard in Cottonwood.

, DataTimes