Tyson Ensnared in $244M 'Ghost Cattle' Scheme

On Wednesday, March 31st, 49-year-old Cody Easterday pleaded guilty to a $244 million scam to defraud Tyson Foods and another unnamed company. According to the Department of Justice, the Washington man charged the companies to purchase and feed hundreds of thousands of cattle. The only problem was, they didn't exist. Cody Easterday owns cattle feedyard Easterday Ranches and he agreed to buy and feed more than 200,000 cattle on behalf of Tyson and the other company. He was advanced the costs of buying and raising the cattle.