A western Maryland dairy farmer whose investment in cloned cattle led to financial ruin has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty for underfeeding his cows, including two that starved to death.

A judge sentenced 41-year-old Gregory Wiles on Monday to three years of probation and barred him from owning any livestock during that period.

Wiles also must pay $22,000 to help care for 29 cows that animal control authorities seized in December.

Wiles had one of his most productive milk cows cloned in 2001. He planned to profit from sales of the clones’ offspring, but regulatory hurdles limited demand and put Wiles in a financial bind.