Ted Klaudt Update: January 22, 2008: Ten More Years for Witness Tampering
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From the Rapid City (SD) Journal:
DEADWOOD — Ted Klaudt wiped tears away and apologized to his victims, the state legislature and the taxpayers of South Dakota as he was sentenced Tuesday in Deadwood to 10 years on each of two counts of tampering with witnesses.Klaudt, 49, of Walker pleaded guilty in November to the two counts, admitting that he had told two of the teenagers he was charged with raping that if they did not tell law enforcement he would “forget about” money they owed him.
In exchange for his guilty plea on those counts, prosecutors dropped eight other counts including stalking and rape charges.
Patricia DeVaney, assistant South Dakota attorney general, said Klaudt also told the girls that if they told law enforcement he and his wife would lose their jobs and the girls would not be allowed to go home.
The counts of tampering with witnesses related to incidents that happened at Klaudt’s home in Corson County, which is in 4th Circuit Court. Lawrence County is also in the 4th Circuit which is why Klaudt was sentenced there.
The charges in both counties all stem from the same egg harvesting scheme Klaudt operated while at home and serving as a legislator in Pierre.
The scheme involved a 17-year-old girl and two women ages 18 and 19. Two of them were Klaudt’s foster daughters.
. . .
Klaudt was immediately remanded back into custody of the Lawrence County Sheriff for transport to the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls, where he will serve his sentence.
Well, that’s that — a fitting end to a sickening story of a disgusting human being. Chances are, the next time you read about Ted Klaudt in these pages, it will be his obituary — from behind bars.
