Searcy County Sheriff Kenny Cassell reported on June 21, Chief Deputy Dewayne Pierce was contacted by a St. Joe resident concerning stolen cattle and other livestock from his property.

According to Cassell, when Pierce arrived at the residence, he learned the livestock owner had entered into an agreement with Steven Bashaw, age 37, of Salem, Arkansas resident to sell him 14 goats and 5 Holstein cows for $5,600. Even though the agreement originated on Craig's List, the seller and the buyer met prior to the purchase.

Pierce learned on June 10, an unknown individual arrived at the St. Joe residence to load and transport the livestock back to Fulton County. After loading the livestock, the driver began to leave, but was chased down by the seller and asked about payment. The driver handed the seller four checks for $1,400 each to pay for the livestock.  This drive has since been identified.

On June 21, the gentleman who sold the livestock took the checks to a bank in Marshall where he learned the checks were fraudulent and could not be cashed.

Pierce contacted the Fulton County Chief Deputy, Joe Boshears and learned law enforcement officers had received complaints about Bashaw. Boshears said Bashaw agreed to go to Searcy County and pay for the livestock in question with money he had received from Fulton County residents.

Boshears told Pierce Bashaw received the money and replaced it with the fraudulent checks and then took the livestock from Searcy County to Fulton County to sell at auction.

The Searcy County Sheriff's Office worked the case with the assistance of the Fulton County Sheriff's Office and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture to confirm the location of the missing livestock.

Bashaw was arrested on July 2 and transported to the Searcy County Detention Center where he was charged with four counts of forgery II, Class C felony, and one count of theft of property greater than $5,000 and less than $25,000, Class C felony.

Bashaw was released on a $15,000 bond, which he posted through an area bonding company. He is scheduled to appear in the Searcy County Circuit Court on July 21 at 9:30 a.m. to answer the charges filed against him.