Female slaughterhouse owner sentenced to prison for running buffalo and cow theft ring

On April 21, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a criminal appeal trial of 5 defendants: Nguyen Thuy Le (born 1991), residing in Kim Son town, Que Phong district; Lo Van Nhat (born 1990), Lo Van Thu (born 1997) and Lo Van Huy (born 1990), all residing in Chau Thang commune, Quy Chau district; defendant Nguyen Danh Son (born 1982), residing in Muong Noc commune, Que Phong district, for the crime of "Theft of property".

According to the case file, Nguyen Thuy Le is the owner of a slaughterhouse. In early July 2020, when Nhat and Thu came to buy meat, Le said: "You go and bring me the goods, I will buy them all." Nhat asked "What are the goods of the army?" Le replied "stolen cattle".

Defendant Nguyen Thuy Le was the one who actively persuaded and enticed other people to participate in stealing buffalo and cows. Photo: Tran Vu

Nhat agreed then invited Son, Thu, Huy to participate in many cases.stealing cattlein Quy Chau and Que Phong districts.

Specifically, one day at the end of July 2020, Le called Nhat and told him to "find goods". Nhat invited Huy to do it together. The two rode a motorbike to Chau Hanh commune and saw a buffalo lying on the road. The two approached the buffalo, used a rope through its nose and led it into the bushes on the side of the road to avoid being detected.

Then, Nhat called to inform the location so that Le could hire a truck driver to pick him up. Le slaughtered the male buffalo and sold it on the market for about 13 million VND. Le paid Nhat 8 million VND.

Using the above tricks, from July to October 2020, the subjects committed 8 thefts of 9 buffaloes and cows with a total property value of 173 million VND.

On October 24, 2020, Lo Van Nhat turned himself in to the police. The subjects involved in the case were arrested one after another.

The court of first instance sentenced defendants Nguyen Thuy Le and Lo Van Nhat to 6 years in prison; Nguyen Danh Son to 5 years in prison, Lo Van Huy to 4 years and 6 months in prison, and Lo Van Thu to 4 years in prison.

The defendants then appealed. Defendant Le appealed for a suspended sentence, while the remaining defendants appealed for a reduced sentence.

At the appeal court, defendant Le confessed to committing the crime for greed. The other defendants explained that they were in difficult circumstances and were persuaded to steal buffalo and cows to sell to Le.

The panel of judges determined that the defendants took advantage of loopholes in the property management of the owner to secretly appropriate other people's property, violating the law and causing outrage among the people.

Defendants at trial. Photo: Tran Vu

In this case, defendant Le was the one who actively persuaded and enticed other subjects to participate in stealing buffaloes and cows, so he must bear primary responsibility.

But it is also necessary to consider mitigating circumstances for the defendants such as honest confession, the victim's request for a reduced sentence, and partial compensation for the victims.

Therefore, the appellate court accepted the defendants' appeal and amended the first instance judgment to reduce the sentences for the defendants.

Sentenced defendant Nguyen Thuy Le to 4 years in prison, defendant Lo Van Nhat to 3 years and 6 months in prison, Nguyen Danh Son to 3 years in prison, Lo Van Huy to 2 years and 3 months in prison, and defendant Lo Van Thu to 2 years in prison. The defendants were required to jointly compensate the victims for damages (deducted from the amount already compensated).