Man gets 5 years in prison, ordered to repay $3M to Marana family over cattle fraud

[Ptah]

After stealing from a prominent Marana cattle stockyard for four years, a longtime friend of the stockyard’s owners was sentenced Tuesday to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution.

Seth Nichols, 29, was accused of doctoring financial records at the Marana Stockyards and Livestock Market while working as the office manager, often sitting next to the victims of his fraud who he said in court had treated him “like a son.” Nichols pleaded guilty in February to federal bank fraud in U.S. District Court in Tucson.

At Tuesday’s hearing, six members of Marana’s Parsons family, which has owned the stockyard for more than 25 years, described the impact of Nichols’ betrayal to Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson. She then sentenced Nichols to the maximum prison term allowed under his plea agreement.

Nichols “completely took advantage” of his relationship with the Parsons and abused their trust, Jorgenson said.

https://tucson.com/news/local/man-gets-years-in-prison-ordered-to-repay-m-to/article_14201eda-6d4b-590b-a372-ce5815f8c1ff.html

[Sneederbunk]

1. Thought that was a hangin offense.

[LongtimeAZDem]

2. Cattle rustling is still a thing /nt