A 64-year-old man that dumped dead cows into Six Mile Creek was found guilty Wednesday for a criminal littering charge that dates back to 2004.

Ladique Brown was arrested in January of 2004 and charged with criminal littering, a class C misdemeanor, and 13 counts of animal cruelty, one for each cow that was found.

Brown was given a three month suspended jail sentence with two years of probation and ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution and court costs.

“We will continue to try to protect animals from any kind of abuse,” said Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson. “My assistant Elliot Lipinsky did an excellent job presenting the case on behalf of my office.”

Jackson said the case took so long to be tried due to an appeal for a jury trial and due to Brown being ill.

According to police reports, a Dallas County Sheriff’s deputy found eight dead cows in Six Mile Creek below the bridge after someone called about seeing them. Investigators determined that the cows, which were found decaying in the creek with gunshot wounds, belonged to Brown. Brown was leasing some land nearby at the time.

As the investigation continued, more cows were found down stream. According to the crime scene report, the cows’ legs were bound by red and white twine, and they appeared to have been dumped into the creek from the bridge by a tractor.

Deputies found a John Deer tractor with a frontend lift, which was owned by Brown, and a bundle or the same red and white twine that was used to tie the cows’ legs together about 300 yards from where the cows were found underneath the Six Mile Creek bridge.

According to the report, Brown agreed to talk to investigators about the dead cows. He admitted to shooting the cows and dumping them into Six Mile Creek because they were “downers.”

In a statement Brown made to investigators, he said the cows were shot because they were suffering from “parasites and bloats.”

According to Jackson, Brown will be tried in Dallas County court at a later date for the 13 animal cruelty charges.