Photo: Alberta RCMP have charged an 18-year-old southern Alberta resident following an investigation into stolen cattle and allegedly fraudulent livestock sales. Police say five long-horned cows were reported stolen from the Eden Valley area in February. Cattle grazing - C. Bowman

On Feb. 7, 2026, Diamond Valley RCMP received a report of cattle rustling where five long-horned cows had been stolen from a pasture in the Eden Valley area.

RCMP Livestock Investigation Unit worked in conjunction with Livestock Identification Services (LIS) inspectors and identified multiple suspicious cattle transactions involving one individual. Investigators determined the individual had sold cattle through auction markets in Fort Macleod and Picture Butte and provided documentation believed to be fraudulent.

Further investigation revealed that several individuals listed on bills of sale could not be verified and that the registered cattle owner had not authorized the sales.

As a result of the investigation, 18-year-old Colin Starling, a resident southern Alberta, has been charged with:

• Theft of Cattle Over $5,000 (2 Counts)

• Trafficking Stolen Property Over $5000 (2 Counts)

• Uttering Forged Documents (3 Counts)

Starling was issued a summons and is scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Diamond Valley, on August 25, 2026.

RCMP Livestock Unit wants to remind all cattle producers of the importance of branding and good record keeping. This played an important role in this investigation.