By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A horse trainer, who previously worked at Stiles Ranch in rural Cushing, has been charged with embezzling eight registered quarter horses and equipment with a total value of $46,670.
Clinton Ray Fleming, 31, of Cushing, was arrested in McKinney, Tex., and transported to the Payne County Jail on June 2. Fleming was released the next day on $20,000 bail and ordered to appear before a Payne County judge with an attorney on July 19, court records show.
If convicted of two felony counts of embezzlement, Fleming could be given as much as a 13-year prison term and a $15,000 fine.
The Payne County case was investigated by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Cody Hyde, who is commissioned by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
On March 28, the ranger was called by a Cushing man who said he had an issue with three horses he had bought between December 2020 and December 2022 for a total of $8,620 from Fleming, whom he allowed to take the horses in for training, an affidavit alleged.
He said he “commonly communicated with Fleming until the last few months regarding the progress and status of the horses in Fleming’s care,” according to the ranger’s affidavit.
He said he recently learned that Fleming had left the state and would not return his calls, the affidavit alleged.
“During my investigation, I spoke with Stiles Ranch owner Darrel Stiles. Stiles stated that he too was a victim of Fleming and reported the theft of five registered quarter horses.
“Stiles stated that Clinton Fleming was employed at the Stiles Ranch to break horses for approximately three years. Stiles stated that during Fleming’s employment, Fleming conducted the sale of five registered quarter horses with a total value of $28,500.
“Fleming never gave Stiles the proceeds from the five transactions in question. Stiles stated that Fleming would make promises to pay Stiles back or offer his services to train additional horses at no cost.
“Stiles stated that he attempted to resolve the lack of payment issue with Fleming by awarding Fleming the opportunity to repay the debt owed,” the ranger alleged in his affidavit.
“Stiles stated that Fleming promptly left the ranch seeking other employment sometime around January of 2023. Stiles stated that he spoke several times with Fleming after he moved regarding the debt owed. Fleming stopped responding to Stiles’ requests to resolve the issue. Fleming never compensated Stiles for any of the horses sold during his employment at Stiles Ranch,” the affidavit alleged.
“Stiles later took an inventory of his horse tack and other training equipment commonly used by Fleming. Stiles discovered that he is missing approximately $9,550 worth of saddles and training equipment. The missing items were last known to be in Fleming’s possession,” the affidavit alleged.
