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Livestock traders accused of falsifying cattle transactions

The vice president of a South Dakota livestock auction says allegations that his company falsified information have nothing to do with the livestock auction itself. Tyler Hellwig, with Sisseton Livestock Auction, told the Forum News Service the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) allegations have nothing to do with the auction itself, but instead have to do with buyers.

The auction barn, located at Sisseton, South Dakota, and Carson Larson of Larson Livestock at Columbia, South Dakota, are accused by AMS of falsifying price, weight and invoice information in 43 transactions. They’re also accused of falsifying invoices to show the consignment and sale of 19 cattle that did not exist. The transactions happened between September of 2015 and March of 2016, according to a news release from the AMS.

Larson is also accused of buying back 788 head of his own livestock that had been purchased at a lower price to fill orders for a customer between July and December of 2017.