Brade
In a significant turn of events, politically motivated criminal charges against a South Dakota ranching family have been dismissed, bringing an end to a contentious 25-acre land dispute that had upended their lives. The decision was announced by federal officials on Tuesday night, marking a victory for CHARLES and HEATHER MAUDE, owners of the 400-acre Maude Hog and Cattle ranch.
The charges were dropped by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the directive of former President DONALD TRUMP. On Wednesday morning, USDA Secretary BROOKE ROLLINS held a press conference in Washington, D.C., flanked by the Maudes, to formally announce the resolution. “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,” Rollins declared. “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.”
The Maudes were charged last year by the Biden administration’s U.S. Forest Service (USFS) with theft of federal property, alleging they used adjacent federal grasslands for grazing without permission. According to *Tri-State Livestock News*, the couple, both fifth-generation South Dakota ranchers, had held a USFS National Grasslands grazing allotment in good standing since USFS’ inception, long after their family acquired the farm in 1910.
The Biden USDA notified the Maudes that fencing on their property blocked access to the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, prompting the family to agree to a survey of the property lines in good faith. However, instead of resolving the dispute, the administration pursued criminal charges, accusing the Maudes of “knowingly stealing, purloining, and converting” approximately 25 acres of National Grasslands for cultivation and grazing, valued at over $1,000. The charges carried potential penalties of up to 10 years in prison and millions in fines.
During the press conference, HEATHER MAUDE took the podium to express her gratitude. “We are incredibly grateful to the Trump administration and all of these great players that have done so much so quickly relative to what we were facing before to get us where we are today,” she said. Reflecting on her family’s legacy, Maude emphasized their dedication to agriculture and freedom. “Our families have a combined 250-plus years of production agriculture. We paused briefly in that pursuit in our grandfathers’ generation, when both of my grandfathers fought in World War II. Charles’s great-grandmother is a four-star war mom, meaning that four of her sons went to war and all four went home.”
Maude also thanked local officials, activists, and supporters who rallied behind the family. “We are so thankful for the efforts that are being rolled out today to help make progress in the right direction,” she said, fighting back tears. “May God bless you, and God bless America and God bless American agriculture.”
Secretary Rollins extended her support to farmers and ranchers nationwide, vowing to combat government overreach. “For all American farmers, ranchers, and producers who are subject to similar egregious lawfare from the Biden administration, we will work with our counterparts, including my great colleague KRISTI NOEM, and others across the Trump government, to address any other government overreach in situations like this,” she said. “We must ensure that our farmers and ranchers have not and will not be targeted for living the American way of life.”
Attorney General PAM BONDI also weighed in on the case, criticizing the prior administration’s approach. “The prior administration’s misguided agenda must be reversed in order to make America safe again,” Bondi stated in a Monday news release. “This Department of Justice will spend our resources and efforts on prosecuting criminals, getting drugs off the streets, and identifying and dismantling the weaponization.”
A spokesperson for President Biden did not respond to requests for comment.
**Sources:**
[Tri-State Livestock News](https://www.tristatelivestocknews.com)
