THREE SENTENCED FOR STURGIS MEAT CRIMES

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Larry Long said today that Phillip K. Cyre, 52, Watertown, Robert Jewett, 54, Spearfish and Ronald J. Gapp, 47 of Piedmont were sentenced yesterday in 4th Circuit Court.

Cyre was sentenced to 5 years in prison for 16 counts of grand theft. Judge Jerome Eckrich suspended 3 years of Cyre’s sentence. Cyre was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $702,000, pay all court fees and required to send letter of apology to each of his victims.

Jewett was sentenced to 9 months in prison. The sentence was suspended on condition that he spend 10 days in the Meade County jail, serve 20 years of supervised probation, pay $1.6 million in restitution, serve 500 hours of community service, pay all court fees and send letters of apology to each of his victims.

Gapp was sentenced to 90 days in the Meade County jail. The sentence was suspended on condition he spend 10 days in the Meade County jail, serve 20 years of supervised probation, pay $1.3 million in restitution, serve 500 hours of community service, pay all court fee and send letters of apology to each of his victims.

A Meade County jury convicted Cyre on 16 counts of grand theft on September 27, 2004. The case stemmed from allegations that Cyre, CEO of Sturgis Meat Service fraudulently obtained money from several area ranchers to fund a value added beef processing facility. The scheme ended when Sturgis Meat Service ended up in bankruptcy and all three men were charged. Jewett and Gapp had pleaded guilty in September 2003 to selling unregistered securities.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Mark Barnett and Assistant Attorney General Todd Love and investigated by Division of Criminal Investigation.

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