It may not have been a scene from the wild west, but three local men were arrested for cattle rustling Tuesday.

Covington County Sheriff Dennis Meeks said Wednesday that an investigation was opened after an incident report was filed about the theft of cattle from a farm on Old Farm Road near Florala.

Meeks said the cattle were sold, but later recovered from the Montgomery Stockyards.

“We got good information from a tip,” Meeks said, adding that one of the three arrested had once worked on the farm.

It was also discovered that a stock trailer was stolen from a residence on County Road 32.

Meeks said the trailer had been repainted from its original color.

Steven Bryan Miller, 25, of Opp; Eric Michael Rucker, 23, of Bonifay, Fla., and Christopher John Atkins, 18, of Opp were each charged with one count of theft of property I and one count of theft of property II.

Each was held on a $30,000 bond.

The sheriff’s office is being assisted by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agencies Agriculture Rural Crime Unit.

Other arrests could be possible.

Cattle rustling was once a hanging offense.

“I don’t think this will go that far,” Meeks quipped.