MARTIN, S.D. – 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 both well known in the cattle industry in central South Dakota and northern Nebraska.
The charges against them came as the pair faced major financial struggles, including a recent bankruptcy and now the possibility of Pauly losing the land his family has owned for generations, 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, and that she hopes the imposition of jail time will serve as a warning to anyone who abuses cattle or tries to defraud others.
"I grew up on a ranch, and it makes me absolutely sick to think of how these cattle were treated," Harris told News Watch. "Hopefully other people will see this and think twice before entrusting their cattle or any livestock with these people."
Couple faced multiple charges in two states
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 2024, 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.
In South Dakota, court documents indicate that sometime between May 2023 and March 2024, the pair intended to defraud cattle buyers by "brand(ing) calves belonging to Dan Schilling with Lynda Frost's lazy F over arrow brand."
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.
Video shows weakened cattle
In late March, about 265 head of cattle were seized from the Pauly ranch by the Bennett County Sheriff's Office. Some of the animals had their skeletons showing due to malnourishment. 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 with their spines, hips and shoulder bones clearly visible. Some appeared unsteady as they walked.
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.
"It looked like it was ground up corn stalks and sticks," Harris told News Watch. "There was no way they could gain weight on that, and it's probably why they looked so terrible."
Harris told the court that in the weeks after the cattle were seized and provided good nutrition, many began to gain weight and return to good health. The cattle were ultimately returned to Schilling, the owner.
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Bennett County Sheriff Jason Erwin told News Watch that he has never seen a livestock neglect case like this since arriving in the area in 2013.
"I'm not going to say they're bad people," said Erwin, who is a neighbor to Pauly and Frost. "But it is shocking to see that."
Schilling told News Watch that Pauly and Frost committed fraud against him in numerous ways and still owe him about $300,000 in cattle and feed costs they misrepresented.
"It's been terrible," he said. "And I've spent way too much time and money on this thing."
Approached by News Watch in the Bennett County Courthouse prior to the hearing on Thursday, Pauly and Frost both declined comment.
Defense sought no fine or jail time
Once the couple was found guilty of neglect, the defense and prosecution made recommendations to Circuit Court Judge Bobbi Rank on sentencing.
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. She pointed out that the cattle were confined by Pauly and Frost and unable to obtain adequate food or water on their own.
Steffen, Pauly's attorney, asked the court to require restitution payments but argued for no jail time or fines for her client and his girlfriend.
She said the cows delivered to Pauly and Frost by Schilling were old and already in poor shape upon arrival, a claim that Harris and Schilling denied.
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. "But life happened and things went off the rails."
Judge Rank, however, turned that argument around by noting instead that after so many years of caring for cattle, Pauly and Frost should have known better than to engage in animal neglect.
Bart Pfankuch
"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 said that a jail term was needed to ensure a strong message was sent regarding the importance of properly caring for livestock in South Dakota. She 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 bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.
