Herman Hoffman, who allegedly neglected and abused more than 200 horses at his Conroe horse ranch, claims Leslie “Buddy” Maybin and Kelly Maybin took five of those horses without paying for them after agreeing to do so in a lawsuit filed in early April.
In the lawsuit, Hoffman claims he and the Maybins came to an agreement where Hoffman would sell them nine horses for $150,000. According to the lawsuit, Buddy Maybin came and picked up five of them on June 23 without paying for them but reportedly promised to pay Hoffman the next day.
“That coincides with everything else that took place out here with the horses,” Hoffman told the Courier.
Investigators arrested Hoffman and his wife Kathleen Hoffman on 20 counts of Class A misdemeanor cruelty to livestock animals after seizing more than 200 horses on June 24.
Prosecutors additionally charged Herman Hoffman with third-degree felony tampering with physical evidence for allegedly moving five horses off his property ahead of the police seizure, a charge that could land him in prison for up to 10 years.
According to an affidavit filed in Herman Hoffman’s misdemeanor case, a police officer pulled over Buddy Maybin at 2 a.m. on June 24 as he was moving five horses. The document states Herman Hoffman called Buddy Maybin to come pick up the horses and then directed him which ones to take when Buddy Maybin arrived.
The Maybins denied the allegations in court documents.
Assistant District Attorney Mike Holley said the civil litigation should not affect the criminal charges the Hoffmans are facing.
“It shouldn’t have an impact on the criminal case,” Holley said. “They’ll be independent of one another.”
Herman Hoffman is asking for the Maybins to either return the horses or pay him for the horses. He’s also asking for punitive damages exceeding $120,000.
Buddy Maybin and the couple’s Houston attorney did not return phone calls by press time.
(Your Houston News - May 13, 2016)
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