Former Deputy Indicted on Evidence Felonies

Michael Rothschadl, former Yankton County Chief Deputy Sheriff, faces two felony counts tied to alleged changes to a criminal report.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Crime — General

Former Deputy Indicted on Evidence Felonies

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A Yankton County Grand Jury indicted Michael Rothschadl, 56, on one felony count of Offering Forged or Fraudulent Evidence and one count of Falsification of Evidence, according to the South Dakota Attorney General. Rothschadl is accused of changing information in a law enforcement criminal report during an incident on April 1, 2021, and is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.

Why it matters

The charges concern alleged tampering with law enforcement records, which bears on the integrity of evidence used in criminal cases in Yankton County and across South Dakota. The case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, reflecting state-level oversight of local law enforcement conduct.

Rothschadl faces one felony count each of Offering Forged or Fraudulent Evidence and Falsification of Evidence, with maximum prison terms of five years and two years respectively. His first court appearance is set for November 12, 2026, at 9 a.m. in Yankton County Circuit Court, and he is presumed innocent.

The players

Michael Rothschadl

A former Yankton County Chief Deputy Sheriff, age 56, who has been indicted on two felony evidence-related charges and is presumed innocent.

South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation

The state law enforcement agency that investigated the case against Rothschadl.

The details

Attorney General officials announced from Pierre that a Yankton County Grand Jury returned the indictment against Rothschadl, who previously served as Yankton County Chief Deputy Sheriff. The state's Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the matter, and the charges center on the alleged alteration of information in a law enforcement criminal report.

April 1, 2021: Alleged incident involving changes to a criminal report.
November 10, 2026: Attorney General announces the indictment.
November 12, 2026, 9 a.m.: First court appearance in Yankton County Circuit Court.

Legal Context

The charges apply South Dakota's felony statutes on forged or fraudulent evidence and falsification of evidence to an alleged alteration of a law enforcement record by a senior sheriff's official. Cases testing these provisions against officers bear directly on how courts treat record integrity within local law enforcement agencies.

Residents of Yankton County may want to follow the proceedings, since the charges concern alleged tampering with a local law enforcement criminal report. The case is one example of how the integrity of official records can affect confidence in local justice.

The takeaway

Record accuracy is central to criminal justice, and charges like these test whether oversight mechanisms catch alleged tampering by those entrusted with enforcement. Readers can track how the Yankton County case proceeds at its first court appearance.