A Chester County woman assured the owners of four retired Thoroughbred racehorses that she'd find the horses good homes, but instead sold them at the New Holland Horse Auction for slaughter, police allege.

Kelsey Elva LeFever, 24, of 288 Cupola Road in Honey Brook, is charged with deceptive or fraudulent business practices, a third-degree felony; two counts of felony-three theft by deception and two counts of first-degree misdemeanor theft by deception.

According to state police, LeFever acquired three horses from Mark Corwin Bliss, 63, of Pipersville, Bucks County, and one horse from Kevin Scott Patterson, 51, of Chambersburg, all between May 13 and 16.

She told the men she would care for and retrain the horses, then find them new homes, police said. LeFever picked up at least one of the horses at Penn National Racecourse in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County.

Instead, during the week of May 16, LeFever sold all four horses at New Holland Horse Auction in Lancaster County, and all four were slaughtered for meat, according to police.

"These owners were under the impression their horses would go to a nice place," said Trooper Michele Davis, a state police spokeswoman. "Under false pretenses, she advertised she would 're-home' these horses."

LeFever's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 6 before District Judge Lowell Witmer in Harrisburg, police said.

She's free on $20,000 unsecured bail, meaning she didn't have to post any money to be released but would forfeit her bail amount if she fails to appear at court hearings.

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