HAMMOND, La. — A Hammond man was arrested Tuesday for stealing 168 livestock, according to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
Mufid Thabatah, 52, was arrested after he failed to pay for the animals eight different times between September and November 2023. Officials said he bought them from a Tangipahoa Parish livestock market.
At the time of Thabatah's arrest, the livestock were valued at $35,000. LDAF said the livestock has not been recovered yet.
Thabatah's bond was set at $25,000 per count and $200,000 in total. If convicted, he faces possible fines and jail time.
“The law is specific when dealing with the purchase of livestock,” said LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M. “The failure or refusal to pay for livestock acquired is a crime and a violation of the theft of livestock statute.”
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