District Attorney John Chase requests evidence proving $20,000
was not obtained fraudulently
San Martin – Dairy farmer Jeffrey Whalen, who stands accused of stealing 156 dairy cows and farming equipment from investors, posted bail after appearing for arraignment at Santa Clara County Superior Courthouse Friday afternoon.
District Attorney John Chase requested evidence proving that the money used to purchase the $20,000 bail bond was not obtained in a fraudulent manner.
“They want to make sure that the money used is legal,” said Deputy Serg Palanov. “In Texas when he posted bail he used money from selling livestock that he didn’t own. Obviously, we didn’t want that to happen again.”
Whalen, 38, was arrested Thursday morning at his San Martin farm by Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputies on suspicion of stealing the cows and equipment from his investors after a five-month investigation with the DA’s office and California Brand Inspector John Suther.
After questioning both the bail bondsmen and Whalen’s mother – who is fronting the cash from a credit line on her home – Chase was satisfied that the money was not tainted.
“I believe the collateral is clean, I believe the bail premium is clean,” he said. “The concern was that he might use stolen money to pay the bail or the bail bondsman.”
Detectives are investigating his involvement in similar crimes outside California where Whalen may have forged documents and written bad checks for farm materials.
“We know of other cases where he was suspected of being involved in Arkansas and Texas,” Chase said. “There may be other victims out there.”
Whalen has currently been charged with two counts of forgery and two counts of grand theft. Additional charges may be added if more victims surface, he said.
According to police, a Pleasanton area investment group put down $190,000 on the cows and for a John Deere tractor for the farm at 1565 East Middle Ave., where Whalen served as a caretaker for the animals.
“The victim believed he was buying cows with the money he sent (Whalen),” Chase explained. “The victim was duped into paying a large amount of money … but he never got any cows.”
The theory is that Whalen invented an investment scheme for the Pleasanton couple to end up paying the debts he owed a Texas buyer, Chase said.
Authorities believe he may have left behind a substantial debt surrounding his out of state business ventures.
“It’s definitely significant,” Palanov said. “I would say hundreds of thousands (of dollars) above and beyond this.”
If convicted, he faces more than six years in prison. He is scheduled to enter a plea June 9.
