Datil man accused of cattle rustling

PHOENIX (AP) - A New Mexico man is accused of stealing 200 head of cattle from an Arizona ranch, packing them into trailers, then moving them out of state.

Authorities recently brought charges against 34-year-old Jason Kirby of Datil, N.M.

An Arizona grand jury indicted Kirby on charges of fraudulent schemes, trafficking in stolen property and two counts of theft.

Arizona Department of Agriculture investigators say Kirby was hired to tend the cattle on a piece of land near Superior in eastern Arizona.

Kirby allegedly moved 202 head of cattle, worth an estimated $200,000, across two states with the intention of selling them to a buyer in Texas.

Kirby faces a pretrial conference Monday.

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Information from: The Arizona Republic