Texas man allegedly stole $2,000 worth of brisket from 19 H-E-B stores as prices hit record levels

James Cordell Avery could face up to two years in prison for allegedly stealing $2,000 worth of brisket from at least 19 H-E-B stores. Avery was arrested Sunday and charged with theft between $1,500 and $20,000, a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in prison. less James Cordell Avery could face up to two years in prison for allegedly stealing $2,000 worth of brisket from at least 19 H-E-B stores. Avery was arrested Sunday and charged with theft between $1,500 and ... more Photo: Austin Police Department Photo: Austin Police Department Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close Texas man allegedly stole $2,000 worth of brisket from 19 H-E-B stores as prices hit record levels 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

Brisket in Texas is becoming so expensive that a 47-year-old man allegedly stole $2,000 worth of the meat from 19 H-E-B locations and sold it to local barbecue vendors.

If convicted, James Cordell Avery could face up to two years in prison on a charge of theft between $1,500 and $20,000. Avery was arrested Sunday on the charge, according to Travis County arrest records.

He was also charged with another "out of county felony," according to records.

Avery allegedly stole the meat from at least 19 H-E-B stores, 13 of which were in the Austin area, according to Austin police. Avery would fill a shopping cart with briskets and other meats and just walk out of the store, police told the Austin American-Statesman.

The arrest comes as prices for the meat skyrocket to record levels, according to Grub Street: a pound of deckle-off brisket costs $3.45 per pound, according to BeefRetail.org.

That's up from $2.14 a pound last year.

And, beef prices aren't likely to come down soon: Texas A&M professor and economist David Anderson estimated a decline could take three to four years at a December conference of meat prices on the Texas A&M campus, the Dallas Morning News reported.

High prices also haven't slowed plans for Texas Governor-elect Greg Abbott's inaugural bash on Jan. 20: Abbott tweeted Sunday that four tons of brisket — or 8,000 pounds — have been ordered for the inauguration party.

jfechter@mysa.com

Twitter: @JFreports