Cattle rustler pleads guilty in Greene County case

A southwest Missouri man accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of cattle and farm equipment pleaded guilty last week to three charges in Greene County.

Howard Perryman, 66, agreed to three concurrent 15-year sentences after pleading guilty to two counts of stealing and one count of tampering with a motor vehicle.

The plea agreement likely won't mean any additional prison time for Perryman who was already sentenced to 30 years in prison for a Barry County conviction in 2014. He is also serving time for convictions in Christian County and Webster County.

Perryman was arrested in Greene County in 2013 after a nearly daylong manhunt that involved eight local law enforcement agencies.

Officials say they recovered stolen equipment from Greene, Christian, Webster, Jasper, Dade and Lawrence counties in connection with the Perryman arrest.

It was DNA evidence from a used paper towel left at one of the scenes that helped investigators link Perryman to several cattle thefts, according to court documents.

Perryman has more than 30 prior felony convictions, according to court records.