Rolla man avoids prison in $48,000 southwest Missouri cattle theft case
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A Rolla, Missouri, man accused of buying 12 cattle with a $48,000 bad check has received probation instead of prison.
Melvin J. Fincher, 39, entered an Alford plea Aug. 11 in Barry County Circuit Court. The plea allows Fincher to maintain his innocence while acknowledging prosecutors likely had enough evidence to convict him.
Fincher was sentenced to 15 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, but the judge suspended the sentence and placed him on five years of supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the investigation began in September 2025 after the Polk County sheriff requested help investigating cattle stolen from a local resident. Investigators identified Fincher as a suspect in that case and two other cattle thefts, including the Barry County case.
Fincher was charged in February with stealing livestock as a prior offender. U.S. marshals and state officers arrested him without incident on March 9 in Neosho. His bond was set at $50,000.
Fincher could be ordered to serve the suspended 15-year sentence if he violates probation
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