In recent years, Oklahoma has seen a resurgence of a very old crime: cattle rustling. The Times Record reports that, often, these modern rustlers steal cattle to fuel their drug habits.
In response to the increase, Oklahoma lawmakers sent a measure to Governor Mary Fallin this week that would increase penalties for rustling. The bill was approved by the state senate this week, and has already been approved by the House. The new legislation would increases fines for cattle theft, and raise the number of felony counts that can be brought. The new law would also allow both penalties to be given for a single crime.
Rustling has risen with the rise heroin and methamphetamine use in rural areas. Lonesome cattle grazing out in unoccupied rural areas have proven to tempting to resist, as a single cow can bring 1,000 to $3,000 at market.