Former Yukon FFA instructor charged with embezzlement

A former Yukon FFA Organization instructor accused of “skimming” a local couple of more than $4,000 on a single livestock purchase has been charged with embezzlement in Canadian County District Court.

Photo - Photo of a calf by Thinkstock
Photo of a calf by Thinkstock
Jason Matthew Bow, 39, was charged Wednesday with two counts of embezzlement, a felony, accused of overcharging two women on separate livestock purchases in June 2010.

Bow, who resigned his position at Yukon Public Schools in May 2011, has not been arrested, records show.

Debbie Wright, who purchased a show calf through Bow for her daughter, was charged $7,000 by the former agriculture instructor, records show.

Bow paid only $2,750 for the calf, meaning that he overcharged Wright by $4,250, court records show.

Wright, who grew up showing animals in rural Oklahoma, said the practice of agriculture instructors overcharging parents and students for livestock is known as “skimming.”

Records show that Bow could serve up to five years in state prison if found guilty of overcharging Wright. He also could be fined up to $5,000.

Another district parent, Donna Yanda, allegedly was overcharged by $500 for a show calf purchased through Bow around the same time as Wright's purchase.

Yanda's calf cost $6,250 but Bow charged her $6,750, records show.

Bow could receive up to a year in jail and another fine of up to $5,000 if found guilty of embezzling the $500 from Yanda.


The investigation into Bow began shortly after Wright and her husband, Randy, discovered they had been overcharged for the calf. The couple conducted their own investigation and turned over their findings first to the school district and then to the authorities.

“We eventually took it to the Yukon Police Department when we realized (Yukon Public Schools Superintendent) Bill Denton wasn't going to do anything about it,” Randy Wright said.

“We met with him in February (2011).”

OSBI officials said their investigation into the Yukon FFA program began in June 2011 after they received the case from the Yukon Police Department.