Ag Secretary Rollins announces charges against South Dakota ranchers DROPPED
The Maude family faced 20 years in prison and $500,000 in fines over the placement of a fence built before they were born.
The federal government has dropped charges against Charles and Heather Maude, the young ranching couple facing 20 years in prison and $500,000 in fines over the placement of a fence built between 1910 and 1950.
Secretary Brooke Rollins of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) posted the news in a statement on X, calling what the couple has faced “political prosecution.”
Thanks to the work across President Trump’s Cabinet, we have taken bold action to put farmers first by dropping criminal charges against the Maude Family of South Dakota.
UNWON confirmed the news with members of the family.
“The Maudes are not criminals. They have worked their land since the early 1900’s and something that should have been a minor civil land dispute that was over and done with quickly turned into an overzealous criminal prosecution on a hardworking family that was close to losing their home, children, and livelihood. Not in this America, not under President Trump,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins in a statement. “A politically motivated witch hunt was launched against the Maude family over a fence line and planting dispute with a small family farm which has cultivated land near federal grasslands since the early 1900’s. Dropping these charges against the Maude family is not only just, it affirms the America First mandate that was sent to Washington when President Trump was overwhelmingly elected and sworn into office just 100 days ago. This case, and the many others that are currently under review, shows that this Administration is fully committed to ending government regulation by prosecution. President Trump will never stop fighting for farmers and ranchers like the Maude family.”
The announcement followed a breaking report in The Dakota Scout published Monday evening.
Charles and Heather, along with their two children, will be traveling to D.C. to meet with Rollins at USDA headquarters on Wednesday in a public press conference where “actions being taken by the Trump Administration to limit government regulation by prosecution will be shared.”
Now if the Trump administration would only do something about the theft of Central Valley (CA) farmer's land and water....the prior administration was consistently driving farmers and ranchers out of business...if this goes on we will be in a famine here in the US...Trump needs to overturn some of these heinous regulations put on those who grow the nation's good
I am very happy that they are no longer facing charges. Remember though, this administration is in no way shape or form friends of ranchers, farmers, or anyone in agricuture except perhaps big buisiness. Evidently ICE hasn’t raided either IBP or Tyson’s processing plants.
I hope they get 100 more years at least out of their place. We all need them. Yay!