Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
STAFF WRITER
Two area livestock sellers are facing multiple fraud charges that could put them in jail for life.
But some of the dairy farmers doing business with Portales’ Calvin and Darcie Pareo through High Plains Livestock Auction northeast of Portales say the pair were only doing what they said they would, with permission.
A Roosevelt County grand jury this month indicted the Pareos on 139 criminal charges ranging from fraud to racketeering and forgery.
But documentation provided by Pareo supporters show about 30 dairy farmers signed affidavits approving of the Pareo actions.
Prosecutors and Pareo clients seem to agree on what’s been happening: Minimum bids were established for cattle; Pareo would negotiate prices outside the auction for those that did not receive the minimum bid.
Pareo supporters say the practice is common — and legal.
Arkie Kiehne is an auctioneer at several area sale barns who has worked with Pareo for about six years. He said if a base bid is not met at auction, the seller has an option to “no sale, or what they call PO or pass out that animal,” and not sell the animal for a lower price.
“Of course they have the option,” Kiehne said. “If (Pareo) has the authority from the seller to do what he sees fit, then I don’t see why not … there’s no reason he can’t if he’s the representative of the seller in order to satisfy the seller and get a fair price.”
Kiehne added that he had sold cattle at Pareo’s auction and “didn’t see anything out of whack,” with how Pareo was operating.
Former Brand Inspector Tim Allison agreed Pareo’s practice is common at auction houses.
“I’ve been to auctions all over the state, and they do it the same,” Allison said. “It’s a little different but it still happens; that’s part of auctioning.
“I’ve bought cattle myself and when you look at them, if one’s got a knot, you either have (the seller) buy it back or knock off 10 cents per pound. That happens … that’s just the nature of the business.”
But Assistant District Attorney Quentin Ray said any agreement Pareo may have had with clients is irrelevant; what he’s been doing is “fraudulent to the other buyers at the ring.”
“When you might set a minimum bid, say, ‘I’m getting at least $1,000 for this item,’ and if it didn’t reach the minimum, it’s passed out, announced and written on the tickets,” Ray explained.
“When you do this behind everyone’s back and you don’t say that’s what you’re doing … they (other potential buyers) have been tricked.”
Ray said not all buyers present at the auctions were aware of the “secret agreement,” between Pareo and his clients.
“The market is being corrupted by that misrepresentation,” Ray said.
Ray also said some of the agreements dairy farmers signed with Pareo are in dispute.
“And we have a lot of people who say, ‘He may be cheating me, but it’s no big deal because he didn’t cheat me as bad as someone else.’”
Efforts last week to contact Calvin and Darcie Pareo were not successful.
But Albuquerque Defense Attorney Peter Domenici said Monday in an email statement:
“The Pareos are innocent of any wrong-doing, and they look forward to vigorously pursuing their rights through the court system.”