By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
People offering a really good deal on horse feed could be in trouble with the law.
The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office is estimating that as much as $100,000 worth of feed, primarily horse feed, has been stolen from the Purina Mills plant in the industrial park on U.S. 70 east of Statesville.
Two Salisbury men have been charged in the theft, but officials say more arrests are expected.
Thomas Lee Cordle, of 2475 Goodnight Road, and William Michael Strange, of 3075 Goodnight Road, were charged with one count each of felony larceny.
Around 1 a.m. Tuesday, deputies followed their F-250 Ford pickup pulling a utility trailer with four pallets of feed from the Purina plant.
Capt. Mike Valentine of the Iredell Sheriff’s Office said the thefts have been ongoing for about a year.
While most of the thefts involved horse feed, some chicken and hog feed were also taken.
Valentine said the feed has been sold to individuals as far away as Greensboro who were in turn reselling it.
Valentine said the people selling the stolen feed could be looking at a charge of receiving stolen property.
Deputies have several other suspects and are expecting to file additional charges.