The Biden administration’s relentless prosecution of South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude over a 75-year-old fence line threatened to tear up a five-generation farming family. Facing 10 years in prison for “theft of government property,” these industrious Americans with young children had their charges abruptly dismissed thanks to the Trump administration’s intervention, exposing yet another example of government overreach against traditional American values.
Biden’s War on American Ranchers
The Maude family has managed their 400-acre cattle ranch in South Dakota for five generations, holding a federal grazing permit for nearly 60 years. What began as a minor dispute over a fence line with the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands escalated when federal agents in tactical gear arrived to serve indictments against Charles and Heather Maude, threatening them with decade-long prison sentences and $250,000 fines.
The Biden admin criminally charged 5th generation South Dakota cattle ranchers Charles and Heather Maude over a dispute over 25 acres of land.
Trump admin just dropped the charges! AMEN! pic.twitter.com/zfXYU91Uhm
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) April 30, 2025
The couple, who purchased their farm in 1910 and have held their grazing allotment in good standing since the inception of the U.S. Forest Service, were suddenly facing separation from their young children. Their crime? A dispute over 25 acres of public land that should have been handled as a minor civil matter turned into a criminal prosecution under the Biden administration’s aggressive enforcement policies.
Trump Administration Steps In
At a press conference in Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the dismissal of all charges against the Maudes. The family stood alongside Republican U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman and other officials as their legal ordeal finally ended.
The Biden admin criminally charged 5th generation South Dakota cattle ranchers Charles and Heather Maude over a dispute over 25 acres of land.
Trump admin just dropped the charges! AMEN! pic.twitter.com/zfXYU91Uhm
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) April 30, 2025
Rollins boldly declared, “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and his directive to put Americans first, we have the pleasure of announcing that the criminal prosecution of the Maudes is now over. They will not be driven from their homes, jailed, or fined. And their children will grow up with the mother and the father they love and who love them.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi highlighted the stark contrast between administrations, stating, “The prior administration’s misguided agenda must be reversed to make America safe again.” She emphasized that the Department of Justice would redirect resources toward prosecuting actual criminals and dismantling weaponized government agencies that target law-abiding citizens.
Exposing Government Overreach
The case exposed critical issues with unelected bureaucrats wielding excessive power over American citizens. Rep. Hageman criticized the government’s heavy-handed approach, stating, “That is not how our government should treat our citizens. You don’t come in with guns a-blazing with two young people with two young children and say we’re going to give you 10 years in prison.”
“We’re standing here with a fifth-generation rancher and their two young children, who are great Americans who’ve never done anything wrong, that the Biden administration was actively working to put in prison,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during that press conference. “While at the same time, many of those same elected officials on the other side are actively working to get out of prison gang members, illegal aliens, etc. We are not the same.”
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council supported the Maudes throughout their ordeal, recognizing the dangerous precedent this case could set for ranchers and farmers across America. Even South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem attempted to intervene on behalf of the family, but Biden officials ignored her efforts.
At the press conference, a visibly emotional Heather Maude expressed her family’s gratitude: “We are incredibly grateful to the Trump administration and all of these key players that have done so much, so quickly, relative to what we were facing before to get us where we are today.” The Maude family can now return to their ranching operation without the shadow of prison.
The resolution of this case marks a significant shift back to a government that works for the people under President Trump’s leadership. A new USDA website has been announced to address unfair and politically motivated legal actions against farmers and ranchers, ensuring that hardworking Americans in the agricultural community won’t face similar persecution.