Angry ranchers across America support terrified South Dakota couple sent to prison after armed federal agents storm their land

Ranchers are angry after an armed federal agent stormed the land of a South Dakota couple. If convicted, the couple now faces 10 years in prison for a fence.

Charles and Heather Maude, both 39, of Caputa, were separately indicted by a grand jury on June 24 for alleged theft of government property by Forest Service Special Agent Travis Lunders, who showed up at their door unannounced, armed and in full tactical gear, according to Cowboy State Daily.

“It's both financially and mentally draining,” Charles told the outlet. “It's something no one should have to go through.”

Because the two were tried separately, they are not allowed to discuss the case together. They must also find their own lawyers and face ten years in prison or a $250,000 fine.

Lunders handed them the charges after the government alleged that the couple had built a fence on a federally owned green space.

There are ongoing tensions between the Forest Service and ranchers in the area that have only escalated since the Maudes were charged, Rachel Gabel, deputy editor of The Fence Post, told The Daily.

Charles and Heather Maude, both 39, of Caputa, were separately indicted by a grand jury on June 24. Forest Service Special Agent Travis Lunders showed up at their door unannounced, armed and in full tactical gear.

“It's both financially and mentally draining,” Charles told the outlet. “Nobody should have to go through that.” Lunders handed them the charges after the government alleged the couple had built a fence on federal land, after which they were charged with alleged theft of government property. (Pictured: part of the Maudes' land)

“The forestry administration has long stressed that it wants to be a good neighbor, and shooting at easy targets is not a sign of good neighborliness,” she said.

Many in the area said the speed had “gone from zero to 120 mph in 87 days,” and many were angry, she said.

Their dispute with the Forest Service began on March 29, when they were told to remove a “No Hunting” sign from one of the posts demarcating government property.

The service reportedly received a complaint from a hunter about the sign, which prompted its removal; however, the couple claims to have never seen any evidence of the complaint.

A little more than a month later, the couple met with Forest Service District Forester Julie Wheeler and it was decided that the land needed to be surveyed to establish property lines, Gabel told The Daily.

The couple are not allowed to discuss the case together because they were tried separately. They must also find their own legal counsel and face 10 years in prison or a $250,000 fine if convicted of the charges.

Five days later, Lunders showed up at the couple's property with a surveying crew without first surveying it. Wheeler had told the couple it could take up to a year to survey their land.

Then, on June 24 – 87 days after the first argument – ​​Lunders resurfaced with the charges.

The couple's problems even reached the U.S. Congress's Natural Resources Committee after Senator Mike Rounds wrote a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

“This action is in direct contradiction to an agreed plan under which landowners worked cooperatively with the USFS to resolve the problem,” he told his fellow politician, according to the Western Livestock Journal (WLJ).

Their dispute with the Forest Service began on March 29, when they were told to remove a “No Hunting” sign from one of the posts demarcating government property.

According to Rounds, the Maude family had a roughly 60-year lease with the USFS, with the fence's placement confirmed each time.

The fence was reportedly built in 1950, before the permit agreement.

“The criminal charges appear unnecessary and contrary to USDA's stated good neighbor principles regarding land management,” Rounds wrote.

He said the Forest Service's actions were an “overzealous persecution of a ranching family in my state.”

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Public Lands Council (PLC) also issued a statement saying the Forest Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office “have maliciously targeted and prosecuted these family ranchers. And it's clear that if this can happen in South Dakota, state action can happen anywhere,” according to the 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 reconsider its plan to handcuff these hard-working ranchers and instead seek an alternative solution to this problem.”

The Maude family had a lease with the USFS for about 60 years, in which the placement of the fence was confirmed each time

According to the family website, Charles' family has operated a ranch since 1907, when Thomas Maude purchased the land.

Charles bought part of the land in 2002 at the age of 17 and a year later, when his grandfather died, he bought the rest with the help of his parents.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for the couple to cover their respective legal fees.

“The Maude family has owned the property in question since the founding of the U.S. Forest Service and has managed this land since 1913. The family has never been warned that they were violating any rules and to this day the family maintains their grazing contract,” Katie Dirksen wrote about the fundraiser.

The GoFundMe campaign had already raised $18,700 of its $77,000 goal as of Saturday afternoon.