A Fincastle man pleaded no contest Friday to three more charges of allowing livestock to stray as part of an ongoing dispute with Botetourt County over the care of his horses.

Jack Cassell, 79, was fined $200 for each conviction, but all the fines were suspended on the condition that Cassell have electric fencing up by March 24, said Assistant Botetourt County Commonwealth's Attorney Jill Deegan.

Botetourt County animal control officers seized three of Cassell's horses shortly after midnight Wednesday following a phone call from a driver who had seen the horses on U.S. 220. Those three horses have been forfeited to the county and will be under the care of Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue, Deegan said.

Friday's court appearance was just the latest in a string for Cassell. On Jan. 20, he faced trial on 33 animal cruelty charges for allegedly allowing the horses in his herd to starve. He pleaded guilty to two counts of depriving an animal of food and water. On Feb. 1, six of his horses were seized for blocking U.S. 220. He was convicted of five misdemeanor counts of allowing an animal to stray or trespass and fined $250.

Under a previous plea agreement, Cassell is required to reduce his herd to six horses by September. Friday's hearing did not affect that plea agreement, Deegan said.

-- Mike Allen