Calif. cattle salesman pleads guilty to bilking Kiefer Sutherland, others in $1.5 million scam

Guilty plea in cattle scam that bilked Sutherland

STOCKTON, Calif. — A California cattle salesman accused of stealing $1.5 million from customers, including “24″ actor Kiefer Sutherland, has pleaded guilty to theft and forgery charges.

Michael Wayne Carr pleaded guilty Monday to three of 12 counts that included grand theft and forgery.

Under terms of a plea deal, the 44-year-old San Joaquin County man faces as much as seven years in prison and will be ordered to pay restitution when he’s sentenced Nov. 1. Carr will be ordered to pay back $956,000 to Sutherland and one of the actor’s investing partners.

He initially faced up to 18 years behind bars.

Prosecutors say Carr had agreements to buy steers in Mexico for his customers and sell them for profit in the United States, but that there’s no record of Carr ever buying those animals.

They also say Carr sold steers that didn’t belong to him.

Information from: The Record, www.recordnet.com/