By Bart Pfankuch,
South Dakota News Watch
Two Bennett County ranchers were taken straight from a courtroom to a jail cell in a case that involved mistreatment of cattle and the false branding and attempted sale of animals they did not own.
Leland Pauly, 60, and longtime girlfriend Lynda Frost, 56, were both taken to jail on Thursday to begin serving 15-day jail sentences on charges they mistreated numerous cattle under their care on their ranch 10 miles east of Martin.
The case came to light after Dan Schilling, a rancher from Wessington, contracted with Pauly and Frost to feed and care for his cattle at their ranch in Bennett County. After discovering his cattle in poor condition, Schilling filed a complaint with the sheriff in March 2024.
That prompted investigations that have led to numerous criminal charges against Pauly and Frost, and now, criminal convictions on livestock-related fraud and neglect charges for them both in South Dakota and Nebraska.
Pauly comes from a longtime ranch family in Bennett County, and he and Frost are well known in the cattle industry in South Dakota. The charges against them came as the pair struggled financially, including a recent bankruptcy, according to Pauly’s attorney, Sandy Steffen of Gregory.
Bennett County State’s Attorney Sarah E. Harris said there is no excuse for animal mistreatment or economic fraud.
“I grew up on a ranch, and it makes me absolutely sick to think of how these cattle were treated,” Harris told News Watch.
After Schilling made the initial complaint, authorities in the two states took notice. In April 2024, Pauly and Frost were charged in Bennett County with 25 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect or mistreatment. That same month, the pair was charged in Keith County, Nebraska, in the illegal branding and sale of cattle owned by Schilling.
Then, in September, Pauly and Frost were charged in South Dakota with four felony counts of misuse or alteration of a cattle brand, a Class 5 felony.
In the Nebraska case, Pauly pleaded no contest in June and was sentenced to probation on a felony charge of illegal sale/trade/disposition of livestock, according to Nebraska court records. Frost was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of using false documents to misrepresent inspection records on livestock.
The South Dakota brand alteration charges were dropped as part of a plea deal in which Pauly and Frost agreed to plead no contest to three misdemeanor animal neglect charges.
In late March, about 265 head of cattle were seized from the Pauly ranch by the Bennett County Sheriff’s Office. A cow and two calves died soon after being seized, according to authorities.
A video that was played in the Bennett County Courthouse on Thursday showed one group of seven cattle walking unsteadily with their spines, hips and shoulder bones clearly visible. Harris told the court her office had tested the feed given to the cattle at the Pauly Ranch and found it had no or very little nutritional value. The cattle were ultimately returned to Schilling, the owner.
Approached by News Watch in the Bennett County Courthouse prior to the hearing on Thursday, Pauly and Frost both declined comment. Harris, the prosecutor, argued for a 30-day jail sentence and three years of probation for each defendant, noting that two veterinarians who examined the seized cattle rated many only a 2 or 3 on a 1-9 scale of animal health.
Steffen, Pauly’s attorney, argued for no jail time or fines for her client and his girlfriend. Steffen also noted that despite the recent criminal charges against her client, Pauly’s criminal history was “unremarkable” and does not include prior charges of animal neglect.
“Mr. Pauly has his whole life been caring for cattle,” she said. Judge Rank, however, turned that argument around. “This is not a situation where you have some young kid or a city slicker looking to have a hobby farm and they don’t know what they’re doing,” the judge said.
Rank sentenced Pauly and Frost to 15 days in jail, a year of unsupervised probation, payment of restitution and court costs, and she ordered that they not own cattle for one year. “Crops and cattle are among the most beloved things (in the state),” she said. “You had critters here who were completely dependent on the defendants for their lives, and for whatever reason, they neglected that duty.”
This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email to get stories when they’re published. Contact Bart Pfankuch at [email protected].
