Whitewood man plea agreement on animal cruelty charges

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) -Thomas L. Mraz’s property was found littered with neglected dogs back in October of 20-20...changed his plea Thursday in Fourth Circuit Court in Deadwood.

In a plea agreement with Lawrence County, Mraz pleaded guilty to 12 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty ... neglect ... mistreatment, or abandonment.

Joe Kosel, a lawyer representing the Western Hills Humane Society, stood up in court objecting to the plea agreement ... saying that Mraz should be held to his original 26 counts of animal neglect and five felony counts of animal cruelty.

Kosel states “We really believe that there was sufficient evidence to move forward for conviction...for felony conviction with these events. Oftentimes historically those felony convictions get a lot more attention, not only from the public, but it is also more serious to the court. My presence in court today was to underscore the fact that there is a very large segment of our population that would like to see these charges prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Mraz is set to be sentenced on August 4th ... pending his sentencing in another case in Meade County on July 27th.

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