Federal Government Drops Theft Case Against South Dakota Couple

A South Dakota couple is no longer facing Federal charges that could have led to a lengthy prison term and a hefty fine.

The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped the case against Caputa ranchers Charles and Heather Maude, who had been accused of improperly using U.S. Forest Service land.

Last June, a grand jury indicted the Maudes for theft of government property. The indictment alleged that they 'did knowingly steal, purloin, and covert to their own use National Grasslands managed by the United States Department of Agriculture, approximately 50 acres.'

At the time, the couple was informed by the U.S. Forest Service that fencing on their property blocked access to the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands and that they faced a 10-year prison term and a $250,000 fine.

South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds argued on the couple's behalf, writing to then Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that the Maude family held permit agreements with the Forest Service for nearly 60 years, during which time the USFS "has repeatedly acknowledged the fence placement every single time the lease was renewed."

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Governor Larry Rhoden's office announced that the Maude family will visit Washington, D.C. on Wednesday (April 30), for an in-person press conference where further updates on this case and actions being taken to limit government regulation by prosecution will be shared.

Caputa is 15 miles Southeast of Rapid City in Pennington County.