BEEF HEIST: South Dakota cattleman accuses Missouri man of stealing wagyu cattle in fraud case

Beresford livestock producer stiffed after delivering Japanese breed and beef to processor, lawsuit alleges

An eastern South Dakota cattle producer is accusing a Missouri man and his companies of swindling him out of millions of dollars worth of livestock and high-end beef.

Joseph Schumacher, who runs Schumacher Farms Cattle Co. out of his Beresford-area property, has filed a lawsuit against Brian Lillie, Best Beef Ventures and Best Beef Holdings, alleging Lillie failed to make good on a deal for livestock and beef. A Massachusetts financing company, Colombo Capital US, is named as a defendant in the fraud case.

Schumacher raises Wagyu beef, harvested from a Japanese beef cattle breed known for high marbling. While Wagyu beef originated across the Pacific, its tenderness and flavor have driven worldwide demand.