Man Jailed Trying To Scam Sale Barn & Dealership

By Tara Vreeland, The News On 6

COLLINSVILLE, OK -- Some alert businesses put an end to what authorities believe was one man's effort to get rich quick.  After he tried to buy cattle at auction, he tried to buy several cars.  Authorities were alerted and he ended up in jail.

Something just didn't seem quite right with the man bidding on the cattle.

"He acted very strange and the cattle he purchased, he would buy top end cattle.  He would buy what we call boners and breakers.  Very old, very poor quality cattle," said James Roderick with Collinsville Livestock Sale.

The man's bidding skills are what tipped James Roderick off.  And, the story developed from there.

"He kept wanting to show us pictures of his ranch which was an appraisal book," said James Roderick.

"Made everyone know that he was ‘the' Jimmy Watson of the Watson Ranch of Hugo Oklahoma. Which of course he wasn't," said Tulsa County Sheriff's Captain John Bowman.

Jimmy Watson was not the Jimmy Watson he was claiming to be. And, he had just bought over $10,000 in cattle.

But, Roderick wasn't going to sell the cattle until the funds had been verified. Watson said he would get the cash from his truck and he never came back.

"He stuck our barn with over $10,000 in debt," said James Roderick.

Watson's motive was most likely money. Buying the cattle on the weekend and quickly reselling them during the week for cash.

"It's an easy way to turn a bad check into a lot of cash in a hurry," said James Roderick with Collinsville Livestock Sale.

But, when that didn't work Watson tried his luck at a car dealership.

"Mr. Watson here, who doesn't lack for gumption went out to Ferguson Chevrolet in Broken Arrow and began making arrangements to purchase seven vehicles from them," said Tulsa County Sheriff's Captain John Bowman.

Watson gave the Collinsville Livestock Sale barn's phone number to the dealership saying that Roderick was the investment banker. After the two stories of cattle and cars collided, Watson was arrested and charged with obtaining property through deception.

"He had big dreams and lots of gumption but he didn't quite have the brain power to pull this crime off," said Tulsa County Sheriff's Captain John Bowman.

Collinsville Livestock says they will try to sell the cattle again this Saturday, but they don't expect to clear a profit.  They expect they'll lose a couple thousand dollars.