Biden-Era Charges Against South Dakota Farmers Dropped By Trump Administration
on May 01, 2025
South Dakota Farmers “Suffered As Victims Of The Biden Regime’s Reckless Lawfare”
Under the Biden administration, a husband and wife were each indicted on a count of “Theft of Government Property.”
They faced 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Now, all charges against them have been dropped by the Trump administration.
The Charges
In the Badlands of South Dakota, Charles and Heather Maude own and operate a diversified farm that’s been in their family for 115 years.
As fifth-generation farmers, they have 400 acres of land, with about 250 heads of cattle and 40 sows.
However, in 2024, they almost lost all of it over 25 acres of their property.
“[The Maudes] suffered as victims of the Biden regime’s reckless lawfare,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said at a press conference on Wednesday, April 30.
25 acres of the Maudes’ property touches the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. An informal grazing agreement had previously been respected by the U.S. Forest Service and the Maudes for many decades … until 2024.
The Fence Post reported the timeline of the Maudes’ experience with the United States government, noting the family first received a complaint from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on March 29, 2024. In the complaint, the USDA alleged that a fence between the Maudes’ property and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland blocked access to the grassland.
On May 1, 2024, the Maudes met with the U.S. Forest Service to address the fence, and agreed to the completion of a survey.
This survey was conducted by the U.S. Forest Service on May 6, 2024, without the involvement of the the Maudes. Results from this survey were never shared with the Maudes, but by June 24, 2024, they were indicted and summonsed to appear before U.S. District Court.
The indictment true bill read:
“Beginning at a time unknown, but no later than December, 2020… [the Maudes] did knowingly steal, purloin and convert to their own use National Grasslands managed by the United States Department of Agriculture, a department and agency of the United States, namely, approximately, 25 acres of National Grasslands for cultivation and approximately 25 acres of National Grasslands for grazing cattle, having a value in excess of $1,000 and did aid and abet each other.”
Their indictment hearing was on July 8, 2024.
Justice For The Maudes
Speaking at the April 30 press conference, Rollins said, “This family, targeted solely over what should’ve been a minor civil dispute over grazing rights on 25 acres of public land, was prosecuted, credibly threatened with jail sentences so extreme that they were told to find alternatives to raise their young children.”
Rollins then announced, “The criminal prosecution of the Maudes is now over. 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.”
With their two children present at the press conference, Charles Maude fought back tears as he briefly thanked everyone for their help in this situation.
Speaking at length, Heather Maude said, “We are incredibly thankful to the Trump administration, and all of these key players who have done so much, so quickly.”
Looking back to when the property entered Charles’ family in 1910, Heather said, “[That property has been] managed without issue — and with great care — since. When this unnecessary grievance came to our family, we knew that we were innocent of any wrongdoing, and we sought to find a resolution, and that was not forthcoming from the other side.”
Following Heather’s remarks, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, former governor of South Dakota, addressed the crowd, stating she had sent a letter to the Biden administration in 2024 asking for the persecution of the Maude family to end.
“That letter was completely ignored,” Noem said.
Addressing Other Injustices
In an effort to prevent similar acts of government overreach, Rollins said, “Working across the Trump administration, we will ensure that all similar Biden era prosecutions against law-abiding Americans are immediately addressed.”
She added, “We are ending regulation by prosecution in America, and investigating how and why this wrongful prosecution of an American ranching family ever occurred in the first place.”
To accomplish this, USDA opened a portal on its website on April 30 for farmers, ranchers, and others to reach out for assistance regarding government overreach experienced during the Biden administration.
Visit USDA.gov/lawfare to see the portal or file a complaint.
Similarly, USDA will work with Homeland Security to ensure present government overreach is not occurring as well.
“We must ensure that our farmers and our ranchers have not and will not be targeted for living the American way of life,” Rollins said.
For more information about the Maude family, visit MaudeHogandCattle.com.
Watch the full April 30 press conference here:
