Former Bourbon Countian faces five-year minimum sentence for wire fraud

A native of Bourbon County awaits sentencing in November after he pleaded guilty in federal court last week on wire fraud in connection with modern-day cattle rustling.

James Danley, 65, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in U.S. Federal Court in Wichita. Danley, who is free on $25,000 bond, awaits sentencing on Nov. 19. He faces a maximum of five years in prison. The government has agreed to ask for a lighter sentence as a part of the plea.

Danley grew up in Bourbon County. He went to school in Fulton, but moved to Finney County around 1970, according to his uncle, Bill Danley, who said he hasn't been in contact with his nephew in 4-5 years.

James surrendered the statute of limitations that would've barred the government from prosecuting him for the crime that occurred nearly 10 years ago, according to an article in The Wichita Eagle.

James, a cattleman from Garden City, admitted to boosting his inventory to obtain loans from the Finney County Feedyard. Thousands of dollars were channeled into a bank account in Iowa, according to the article.

His lawyer, Mike Hepperly, told the court that the reason why his client would waive the statute of limitation, Hepperly said it was "to the benefit of him to plea to this particular crime," according to the article.

Prosecutors originally charged him with stealing more than $105,000 over a five-year period ending in 2003. Federal prosecutors agreed to the plea deal that allowed James to admit to the older mail fraud charge.

He admitted to providing false cattle inventories to Farm Credit of Southwest Kansas in Garden City. As a result, he used the inflated cattle list to obtain money through loans from the feedyard.