Story by Steven Long ~ Editor/Publisher of Horseback Magazine
National Icons Packed off to be Eaten
HOUSTON, (Horseback) – Two men from rural Utah were indicted by a federal grand jury following a rare investigation of a wild horse scam by the Bureau of Land Management.
The men, Robert Wilford Capson,, 59, and Dennis Kay Kunz, 56, face charges of wire fraud and making false statements after bureau agents impounded 64 slaughter bound horses on a one way trip to a Mexican abattoir.
The animals were impounded after a routine port of entry stop near Helper, Utah. Capson’s unlikely story that he planned to use the Mustangs as rodeo stock raised agents suspicions.
The horses were purchased “on paper” from the bureau’s wild horse and burro facility at Herriman, Utah and were delivered to Willard whre Kunz’ residence is located. Kunz is a long time “killer buyer” for the slaughter industry. The horses were being loaded on a trailer bound for the notorious slaughter pens of Presidio, Texas which are now under investigation by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and other agencies.
The horses were purchased from BLM at a reduced rate.
The indictment says the men used the Internet and phone lines to fax the transactions to the BLM.
BLM requires buyers to sign a document that horses will not be re-sold as is typical in a slaughter transaction where the killer buyer sells the horses to a slaughterhouse.
The men are alleged to have falsified a federal questionnaire.
Capson and Kunz face four counts of wire fraud, making false statements, and aiding and abetting. They could face up to 20 years in a federal penitentiary.
Related articles
- BLM Wild Horse Slaughter Case Moves to U.S. Attorney (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Pilot Conduct Ruled “Inhumane” at Triple B Wild Horse Hearing (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Finally some of the rustlers are caught. This is just the tip of the iceberg. If only we could “hang ‘m high”.
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I hope the SOB’s rot in prision!!
Although I also would prefer to “hang ‘m high.”
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We can only hope for the 20 years!!!!! SOB’s this needs to set a precedent for justice for our horses, in the past we have found that there is very little justice when it comes to the welfare of animals in our legal system. I am just glad that these despicable excuses for humans have been stopped for now but as Barbara says, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I will for one take every victory no matter how big or small.
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And if they are lucky these horse rustlers who break the law just might get hired by the BLM!
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well, they hired the Catoors after they broke the law,,,,and made them millionaires!
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that’s what I mean!
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THANK GOD THAT ONE LEGAL SYSTEM WORKED FOR THE HORSES. HOW PEOPLE CAN BE SO CRUEL AND WITHOUT FEELING ALL THE WAY TO WASHINGTON DC IS BEYOND ME. THIS COUNTRY USE TO HAVE FEELINGS BUT NOW FROM THE TOP DOWN IT SEEMS TO HAVE CEASED.
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Well stated, Shirley!!!!
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they still hung horse thiefs here, and other western states. there is no reason that these horses had to go that way!
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Smokescreens and mirrors and a convenient scapegoat or two to make the public think there is accountability where there is none.
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Finally, something going for the horses. Hope they don’t dismiss the case on some damn legal technicality.
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I so agree with you, Mar. the BLM have found their scapegoats and now they will go after them and do everything they can to take the forces off themselves. do not be fooled, please! put MORE FORCES ON THE BLM!
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Kudos should also go to the agent(s) down by Helper that were doing their job and didn’t just let these horses pass through unquestioned and all those involved in the followup investigations leading to the indictments. That appears as the start point of this prosecution process because the sale point at Herriman obviously didn’t bother to look past the end of their noses at who they were selling too and were possibly just pleased to sell (“get rid of”) that many horses.. Hopefully these charges will result in sufficient hard time without parole or probation to keep these slimeballs behind bars long enough to be in their late 70’s when they are released even though I resent my tax dollars being used to sustain life for them. They should also be barred from ever again conducting any kind of business or contract with any agency dealing with wild horses. Apparently unlike horse killer catoor, they just don’t know the right people at BLM. But we’ll have to await trial results to see if that is true.
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yeah its about time they follow the law. Maybe they should check all the paperwork for horses going to Mexico instead of just one load of BLM horses. Now that would be a novel idea.
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BLM has information saying they have sold 2097 wild horses to buyers since 2009 and up to August 25th, 2011.
These are the sales authority questions;
Click to access sale_questions.pdf
I cannot find her last name but Sally is the one to talk to in DC about the sale of horses by the semi trailer load. People apparently lie about their uses of the horses all the time… but when wild horse advocates want to buy they are very careful and will give you a bit harder time… yet it is still not hard to buy them.
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Whoops, the link is live just a little long!
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Sally SPENCER
… do not trust her …
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Yes, you are right there, GG.
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Time to read these again.
Click to access BLM.Team.Euth.FOIA_Cover.letter.pdf
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Thanks for that reminder of the BLM’s evil plans , Louie. It doesn’t look like things have changed much . I wonder how many of the horses have been “euthanized” even though it was not supposed to have been an option ?
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I am praying… Please Dear God, Put them away. Let justice prevail.
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The BLM is just trying to remove the mud off their faces, can’t help feel the blm is still behind the sale and transport. I WOULDN’T TRUST THE BLM NO FURTHER THEN I COULD TROW THEM!!!!!!!!!!
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No wonder the BLM are doing some many roundups if they are involved with providing these men the horses to be sold for slaughter. I didn’t see anything about what the BLM employees that were helping them seal the deal was charged with. Very disturbing news and is probably only the tip of the iceberg.
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THERE’S NO WAY I BELIEVE, EVEN THE TINIEST BIT THAT THE blm wasn’t in on this!! They are thugs and are always lying! They knew alright. And was probably going to make some kick-back money……but something went wrong. Thats just a bunch of hot- air crock that “they got suspicious” so decided to “investigate.” THE blm couldn’t care less about our horses & burros!
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Oh, btw….the blm doesn’t DESERVE for their initials to be capitalized. So I always make them LITTLE. LITTLE like they are. Might be childish, but I could care less about them.
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Barbara, you are so right. There is SO much information in that link that all need to see and NOT EVER forget. Those inside Team Conference Call minutes give the names of many of the “team members” that are so familiar to all of us. You know…. those people that tell us that are doing “what is best for the Horses”:
http://americanherdsspecialfeatures.blogspot.com/2010/04/horrors-of-horse-slaughter.html
More on the truth of horseslaughter…
“Sally had an e-mail from a person in Canada who wants 10,000 [wild] horses that he would slaughter the horses and send them to a third world country. Don is going to send the email. Jim said he has a demand for horses going to Denmark, but they are having a problem getting titled [wild] horses.” -Excerpts from Animal Law Coalition’s “BLM’s Final Solution For Wild Horses and Burros” by Laura Allen, 12/21/09.
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Ah, YA found it!! This is what so many have been buzzing about at FB but didn’ t have the source anymore… Always interesting to see their discussions go to slaughter altho’ they do not sell to KB? Then why do KB trucks and drivers do short term work for BLM all the time? I thought it was because they all know each other and are in the same business! Hauling America’s wild and free roaming wild horses and burros to slaughter!
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Any update on those wild equines?
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Have called and left message… no call back.. No one is calling back this week… maybe because we want to cut the budget again.
Butterfield Facility, Utah. 801-561-4632
Be nice as you just want to know how the seized 47 are…. where they may go and when.
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No matter what – thereis one less kill buyer on the loose.
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Wait…so I can go buy 50+ mustangs and THAT doesn’t raise a flag? Not only that but I get a discount for buying so many..I mean WHAT DO YOU THINK SOMEONE IS DOING WITH 50 HEAD OF HORSES?? The BLM knew…I mean really …who can possibly believe they sold those animals as pets? This department needs total restructure and overhaul. Its knee deep in horse crap lies.
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You might call this “operation pin the tale on the donkey”.
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Yes … and don’t forget our donkeys! I have found NO long term holding facilities listed for our gathered burros – at least not on the LTH facilities list – only horses. To the best of my knowledge [FOIA May 1st] of the 161 burros captured by BLM at Twin Peaks, 66 remain in corrals at BLM’s Litchfield short term holding with not a drop of hope of doing anything but standing there until the day they die. No shelter … no place to run and kick up their heels … no family… no “life” … and no hope of any life … EVER.
19 are dead (15 during gather dates – does that tell us something?)
11 sold (who buys an old wild burro? slaughter?)
5 adopted
21 released
19 LTH in Kansas (I certainly question this!)
16 LTH in Oklahoma (I certainly question this!)
1 Elm Creek NB (what is it doing there?)
3 at Carson City [prison?] (what are they doing there? I hate to think about this!)
Now … let me tell you that in the past few weeks I personally have driven over 61 miles within the Twin Peaks HMA (avg. 4-5 MPH) with 3 other experienced observers and with binoculars and frequent stops to glass for animals and viewed about 122 (61 x 2 miles +/- of visability either side of the road) miles of the HMA (i.e. 20% of the entire HMA) and we saw ONE burro! BLM says they left 160 burros out there plus the 21 they say they released … that is fracking bologna! I know I am “preaching to the choir” as they say but not everyone can go out and look with their own eyes and I did … and wanted to share it with you so that you will know the truth. Please do not forget our burros.
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THe questions say buyers are ASKED not to sell to slaughter. They are not told not to. What happened to the paper they were supposed to sign saying they would not knowingly sell for slaughter ? This is really alarming.
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“… Purchaser may be subject to criminal penalties if in this Bill of Sale he/she knowingly and willfully falsifies, conceals, or covers up a material fact…” (Does this include Sally Spencer the BLM representative who signs the document … if SHE KNOWS, CONCEALS or COVERS UP?)
“…Purchaser agrees not to knowingly sell or transfer ownership of any listed wild horse(s) and/or burro(s) to any person or organization with an intention to resell, trade, or give away the animal(s) for processing into commercial products.”
There is more … including “Purchaser agrees to provide humane care to the listed wild hore(s) and or burro(s).” So why has Wendi Beirling, the documented wild horse abuser in Michigan not been arrested on these FEDERAL charges?
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As with all the mandates (LAW), comes ENFORCEMENT and the funds to do same and prosecute.
The latter are non existent.
And they (gov’t) are excuse making beyond belief these days.
What have we come to?
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THANK YOU, Grandma Gregg! As always, you bring more information and as always, that leads to more questions:
WHY are 19 Burros dead after the round-up?
WHY are 3 Burros at Carson City prison?
11 Burros sold to WHO…for WHAT?
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The poor burrows. Our country is run by selfsh-greedy jerks… To say the least!!!! These tragedies are kept out of the news; at least in the midwest/eastern states. When will all of this cruelty end..
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Our wild ones have been abused for decades … for personal profit by mustangers and now for governmental profit – be it land and/or mining and/or gas and oil and/or livestock and/or hunters. Our very own “land of the free”, United States of America. Yes Louie, where have all the burros gone?
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Old habits die hard, GG…long, cruelly, sanctimoniousness and frequently undocumented deaths and waste based on human want…not need.
People here get it.
Never give up or go away…NEVER!
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They are Missing in Action, Grandma Gregg
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Thanks Grandma Gregg, the burros are gone and there is hardly a paper trail. It amazes me as this is what I feared for the horses. The burros have been
‘swept away’ and their fate needs to be revealed. We need unlimited access to all the records on wild horses and burros our government agencies have. It is not their place to hide a thing we pay for. If they have done wrong they should not be protected by legislation that prevents change and the exposure of those wrongs. This is what we keep getting; coverups and misinformation. Whole herds of wild horses and burros have disappeared. Literally, in very recent years. This must not continue and the government must give up its secrets!
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I believe there are many high crimes involved with the removals and dispersal of our wild burros and horses. One day this all needs to come to light.
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