KINGSVILLE, Texas —
A Kingsville business is getting back on its feet after being targeted by a scam aimed at meat markets, and the owner says the community is keeping the shop off the chopping block.
Beef and Bones Meat Market has served the Kingsville community for nearly six years. On Oct. 14, owner Charlie Williams made a post to Facebook explaining that his shop had been hit by a scam ring that is now under investigation.
"Unbeknownst to me, there was a statewide scam. It's a ring of people that are targeting meat markets. And this scam extends into other states I'm now aware of New Mexico and Arizona," Williams said.
A man called the store and claimed to be a caterer for a local event. He placed a large order and paid with stolen credit card numbers. The transaction went through, so the beef left the store. Days later, Williams realized the cards were stolen, but the product was already gone.
"We're liable for all of that beef. So when we order beef for a customer, we still have to pay our distributors for it... So all of the beef that he was able to procure from us... we had to pay for it. So it was no different than him walking in and raiding the cases and throwing it in the truck and taking off," Williams said.
Though he couldn't share specifics, Williams said the loss was very significant, and that he wasn't sure the shop could survive. That same fear hit his workers, too.
"It was definitely scary. I mean, scared, scared for the owner, scared for our team. We weren't sure if we were gonna stay open. My husband and I are looking at starting a family... we just bought a house so it has been a little concerning," Skyland Thompson said.
"So when I first heard the scam, I was terrified. I didn't know if I was gonna have a job here or not. I'm a college student. But yeah, it just made me feel just a little down, but Charlie, the owner, reassured that we still had a place here and he needed our support now more than ever," Tristan Martinez said.
After hearing the news, the city of Kingsville answered the call. Neighbors showed up to buy beef, and some even made donations.
"And the response from the city was overwhelming. And it was enough motivation. You know for us to want to fight and to stay open," Williams said.
"Kingsville is definitely a beautiful community. I mean, I've seen people I haven't even seen here and they all come to support and it's been truly amazing and it's been able to rekindle my faith in humanity," Martinez said.
Now, with the shop still fighting to get back on its feet and the community behind them, Williams is warning other meat markets to stay alert.
"What I would share is that if you know orders come in that are larger than usual and you're not familiar with the person that's making them take the time to to do your homework and protect yourself and your company. " Williams said.
While more information about the investigation couldn't be shared, the crew at Beef and Bones knows one thing for sure: The city of Kingsville has their back.
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