The Trump administration has dropped charges against a South Dakota ranching family who were accused of stealing federal land.
Charles and Heather Maude were embroiled in a bitter dispute with the Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which claimed the couple had stolen 25 acres of grassland.
They were charged last year under the Biden-headed USDA, which accused them of unlawfully using the plot to graze their cattle.
The couple are fifth generation ranchers whose family had owned the plot since 1910, well beyond the Forest Service’s inception. They maintained they had done nothing wrong.
‘When this hit, it hit at the heart and soul of this place,’ Heather said at a press conference announcing the dismissal of charges.
‘When this unnecessary grievance came to our family we knew we were innocent of any wrongdoing and sought to find a resolution and that was not forthcoming from the other side.’
The couple were operating Maude Hog and Cattle without issue until March 29 last year, when they received a complaint about a no hunting sign on their property.
The dispute revealed that a fence was blocking access to Buffalo Gap National Grasslands which led to the couple accepting a USDA survey of their boundaries.
The Trump administration has dropped charges against South Dakota ranchers Heather and Charles Maude
The couple were facing criminal charges over allegations they stole 25 acres of federal grasslands and used it to graze cattle
When an alleged discrepancy was discovered, the Biden-led USDA aggressively pursued charges instead of trying to resolve it in line with their ‘good neighbor’ policy.
The Maudes, of Caputa, were separately served grand jury indictments of alleged theft of government property on June 24, 2024.
They were stunned when Forest Service Special Agent Travis Lunders showed up at their door unannounced, armed, and in full tactical gear, according to Cowboy State Daily.
Due to their separate indictments, the couple were not allowed to discuss the case with each other and had to fork out for separate legal fees.
The couple’s troubles even made their way up to Congress’ Natural Resources Committee after Senator Mike Rounds wrote a letter to former US Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.
‘This action represents a direct conflict to an agreed-upon plan, wherein the landowners were working cooperatively with the USFS to resolve the issue,’ he told his fellow politician, according to Western Livestock Journal (WLJ).
If convicted they faced up to ten years in jail and a $250,000 fine each.
But they are now working to put the ordeal behind them.
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is dropping charges which were brought in under the Biden administration
The couple’s dispute with the Forest Service started on March 29, when they were told to remove a ‘no hunting’ sign from one of the post that mark off the government’s property
The Maude family had a lease agreement with USFS for around 60 years, where the fence placement was acknowledged each time
‘Thanks to the leadership and the unequivocal and bold leadership of President Trump and his directive to put Americans first, we have the pleasure to announce that the criminal prosecution of the Maudes is now over,’ USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said.
‘They will not be driven from their home. They will not be jailed. They will not be fined. And their children will grow up with the mother and the father they love and who love them.’
Charles’ family has been ranching since 1907 when Thomas Maude purchased the land, according to the family’s website.
Charles purchased some of the land in 2002 at the age of 17 and a year later, when his grandfather died, he purchased the rest with the help of his parents.