By DOUG GRAVES

Ohio Correspondent

WEST COLLEGE CORNER, Ind. — A Union County farmer is facing charges after an estimated 38 dead cows were found on his property.

The discovery was made on the farm of Rodney L. Sintz, 42, at 6501 S. Brookville Road in West College Corner. According to Union County Sheriff Dale Dishmond, Sintz was charged with a Level 6 felony (three counts of failure to properly dispose of a dead animal) and a Class A misdemeanor (three counts of cruelty to an animal).

He was arrested without incident, Dishmond said, and released after posting bail set at $50,000.

“Our investigation went on for two weeks,” he said. “Once we received information that there were some dead carcasses on the property, we immediately contacted the Indiana State Veterinarian and Indiana State Board of Animal Health inspector (BOAH) to establish probable cause to go onto Sintz’s property.”

Court documents show a BOAH field veterinarian found the dead cows in various states of decomposition on March 5. The next day criminal charges were filed against Sintz, followed by a warrant for his arrest on March 6. Under Indiana state law, animals must be properly disposed of within 24 hours of an owner’s knowledge that they have died.

“We’re not certain of the exact total of dead animals because the prosecutor is still working on the charges,” Dishmond explained last week.

According to inspection reports, many of the surviving cattle appeared to be below the normal body weight. Half didn’t have access to adequate food and water.

Court documents state inspection of the farm’s central barn found the floor covered in at least 12 inches of manure. There were several safety concerns around the central barn noted in the field veterinarian’s report.

A state official recommended county officials impound the rest of Sintz’s livestock and Union County Circuit Court Judge Matthew Cox issued an order to that effect on March 8. An initial hearing in the case was held March 11, during which dates were set for a pretrial conference (May 8) and jury trial (June 18).

“People caught in these circumstances usually plead not guilty, and that’s pretty common,” Dishmond said. “Any animal, be it one or many like this, when it comes to neglect, it’s just wrong.”

If convicted, Sintz faces a standard sentence of one year with a range of six months to 2.5 years on the felony charges. The misdemeanor counts carry a sentence of up to one year.