Cattle Producers Reach Settlement With Feds

A $255,000 settlement with the US Department of Agriculture has been reached with Carl Trahan, Melissa Trahan, the Estate of Ernie Little, Thad Little Stacy Little T.L. Cattle Company and Little Cattle Company in regards to claims submitted for payments following Hurricane Rita through the 2005 Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).

The LIP program was instituted in 2005 to provide payments to producers for livestock deaths from natural disasters including Hurricane Rita. To qualify for disaster payments, producers were required to submit documentation proving they had lost livestock due to a disaster. The US Attorney's office said the settling parties made statements and claims to the FSA which were false.