BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Livestock breeder James Leachman of Billings is suing several officials with the Bureau of Indian Affairs over the seizure and sale of more than 800 horses that he failed to relocate and care for after he lost his ranch in a foreclosure sale.
The Billings Gazette reports (https://bit.ly/Pt2ZA8 ) Leachman filed a complaint in U.S. District Court on Wednesday seeking $2.2 million in damages.
Leachman’s complaint said the BIA seized 820 of his horses southeast of Billings in April 2011 and sold them at auction without his consent.
The BIA said it seized the horses because they were trespassing on tribal land.
The horses had been fed by Yellowstone County and volunteers before being rounded up.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Rostad said Friday he had not seen the case and declined to comment.
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Information from: The Billings Gazette, https://www.billingsgazette.com
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