Charles and Heather Maude, both 39, of Caputa, South Dakota, were separately served grand jury indictments on June 24. According to Cowboy State Daily, the charge is alleged theft of government property by Forest Service Special Agent Travis Lunders. He showed up at their door unannounced, armed, and in full tactical gear.
The Agent came to their farm, which the family has owned since 1907, invading their home, and served each with federal grand jury indictments for theft of government property.
The couple was served separately, and each faces ten years in prison over the placement of a fence that was approved for decades. The couple were forced to hire separate lawyers.
The couple’s troubles have even reached the Natural Resources Committee after Senator Mike Rounds wrote a letter to 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).
According to Rounds, the Maude family had a lease agreement with USFS for around 60 years, in which the fence placement was acknowledged each time.
The fence was reportedly built in 1950, which predates their permit agreement.
“The criminal indictment appears unnecessary and conflicts with USDA’s stated good neighbor practices about land management practices,” Rounds wrote.
He said the Forest Service’s actions are an “overzealous prosecution of a ranching family in my state.”
Every time Democrats are in power, they abuse farmers. This went on under Obama.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council (PLC) also issued a statement. They said the Forest Service and US Attorney’s Office had ‘maliciously targeted and prosecuted these family ranchers. It’s clear that if this can happen in South Dakota, government outreach can happen anywhere,’ according to Western Livestock Journal.
“This case is a prime example of what can happen when federal agencies view ranchers as enemies, rather than partners,” PLC President Mark Roeber said, according to WLJ.
“I urge the U.S. Forest Service to rethink their plan to slap handcuffs on these hardworking ranchers and instead pursue an alternative resolution to this issue.”
According to the family’s website, Charles’ family has been ranching since 1907, when Thomas Maude purchased the land.
The family is said to be terrified.
As of Saturday afternoon, the GoFundMe has raised $18,700 toward its $77,000 goal.
They do it to intimidate and break people mentally and monetarily.
What I can take away from this is not to buy land or any property that abuts any government property.
Oh yeah cross the border illegally and your given a welcome and govt asst
and medicare and housing and food etc..even college etc.. but put a fence
up that has been approved but Govt say NO and your arrested! N*zism!
Sue the government and its entities for the ‘Fictitious Conveyance of Language’ within ALL documents, charters, and contracts.
Bye Bye government.
How do you think they put Bernie Madoff in prison??
There are no words to describe the contempt these power freaks deserve.
I am not an American and certainly not a US Constitutional expert, but where, in the US Constitution, does the Federal Government gain its right to declare they own land in a state?
Government land ownership was not addressed in the Constitution because it had not yet become an issue. Later, so-called ‘Acts of Congress’ (i.e. passing laws) enabled the government to claim land ownership. This was deemed necessary because there were vast tracts and regions of unclaimed land, inhospitable land, special lands set aside to prevent spoilage, etc that needed to be managed.
USFS manages the forests and grasslands. BLM manages the inhospitable lands. NPS and others manage the parks.
Both USFS and BLM lands have massive financially productive natural resources that need management.
When the grid goes down permanently, the bullshit ends.
So, did I hear that right? The GOVERNMENT owns Americans Land? Oh I don’t think so dufus, it’s the GOVERNMENT, they serve the people and OWN NOTHING, they make NOTHING, they are an entity, not a human being! What an arrogant act of TREASON!
if civil war comes to usa these tyrants better grow eyes in the back of their heads
I represent someone who is dealing with the USFS – and has been for a number of years. I have never dealt with such an abusive agency. I spoke to their lawyer in D.C. who was unprofessional, profane and wholly dismissive of the matter at hand. My professional experience as a lawyer is that the USFS are absolute tyrants. As for the way farmers and ranchers are treated, I think that they should abstain from producing any food for a year and see if that serves as a wake up call to the abuses. Here in the hellhole of California, millions of acres are fallow because the Dems shut off the water to farmers.
And then they sell the water to MWD, who sells it on to LA at high prices for urban use.
Very true. Every drop of rain we get is run off to the ocean. Those in power don’t ever want the “crisis” to end.
You st*p*d females who fantasize about having sex with a 82 IQ cop that looks like baby huey and females who think cops are here for your personal protection are the ones who enable dirty cops. We should take away your right to vote and make America great again.
Evil Democrats will always steal, kill and destroy just like their father.
This is ridiculous. Two law-abiding citizens should not be “terrified” of the government.
The government should be terrified of law-abiding citizens.
A fence does not determine boundaries per the courts that rely on surveys, so nothing has been stolen. Surveyors statutes state not to use a fence for determining a boundary. So where does the Forest Service or the US Federal Attorney think they have a beef? No one has stolen any thing.
This article is total BS. NEVER does a single agent “raid” anything. There is always a huge group of them. NEVER would a property be raided over the placement of a fence. NEVER would any action be taken without a series of letters. THIS IS A HUMONGOUS BIASED PROPAGANDA piece and since most Americans are braindead and have very little real life experience they thrive on this garbage without realizing it for what it actually is = GARBAGE.
May God bless this family with the strength and courage of David as they battle the tyrannical monster government. May there coffers be filled to overflowing and may God bless them with the justice they deserve.
Amen
Every LEO, lawyer, judge and law giver, will get their FAIR, 3 minute tribunal for their life. Few will walk free after 3 minutes. Most will walk to the gallows or the cross.
Wow Dana. Even those LEOS who stand with the ranchers? Even those lawyers the ranchers hire to fight for them in the unjust courts? Even those judges who rule against the tyrants of the federal government? You sure are some warrior there, Dana.
Do you realize that MOST does not mean all? And Dana is correct, MOST are guilty.
‘Most’ means most. Because Shakespeare was correct. Educate yourself.
Officers of the Court work for the government. They are paid by the government. They feed and clothe their children from that money. Their pensions are given by the government. Their performance is evaluated by the government on an on-going basis.
Do you seriously (naively) doubt where their allegiance lies?
why is Forest Service playing “Army”? Where the heck did authorization for tactical gear come from?? Whoever authorized that needs to be fired with prejudice. And the FS disarmed.
That’s because you’re reading a bunch of lies from a propaganda story. You fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Most of the “details” in the article are fabricated or extremely biased in reporting. Anybody with a minimum of real life experience would know this.
One anonymous opinion with not a fact given – anybody with a minimum of real life experience would question the validity of this. Just call me anybody…
You are an idiot, must be a democrat
Oh please. It’s you that must have no real life experience. How many times have similar things happened in the very recent past? Huge government overreach is happening right now with farmers and ranchers in various states, from taking away water rights on their land, government tracked RFID tags and forced vaccinations(that kill off the animals) to mass bird culls for a non existent threat. You must get your news from CNN. Try reading and watching some independent media to lose the blinders you have on right now.
They probably only watch cartoons.
Would you like some jelly for those boots?
They’ll be having crow with USFS when this case is over with.
you live in DNC hell hole St Paul which is in Mooslimdopia!
This is what happens when democrats get into positions of authority and ignore the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Chevron Case…
Time for another “Bundy Ranch” show of citizen discontent with the US gestapo.
Typical Soviet Union.
So, government entities are becoming the enemy of the people.
We may have to free ourselves again.
It’s a land grab
They’re just playing. It’s for intimidation, they want to break people mentally and monetarily.
WHERE IS THE “Great” SD Governor??? Busy killing her pets?
Have you taken a minute to answer your own question, or just using a story to attack her?
I was asking because she would have been the first person I would have thought that these folks would have gone to. Why the rancor, friend?
Nice projection, Kat Rancor.
“Busy killing her pets?”
You pretend innocence.
She’s getting tatted up and a ‘chest enhancement’ in a bid to “call and raise ya” on that busty MILF hottie from Colorado.
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