PIERRE, S.D.(DRGNews)- A 47 year old female from Pierre is accused of stealing approximately $45,500 from the Community and Youth Involved Center in Fort Pierre.

Dusti Deal is charged with Grand Theft by Embezzlement. She was arrested, then released on a $5,000 bond.

In a complaint filed with the court, Stanley County State’s Attorney Tom Maher said Deal embezzled the money from 2022 through 2024, while employed as the executive director of the Community and Youth Involved Center. Deal is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday (July 1, 2025, at 2:30pm CT) at the Stanley County Courthouse in Fort Pierre.

In an affidavit of probable cause filed with the court, a special agent with the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office Division of Criminal Investigation provided details of the interview he did with Deal last month (May 8, 2025). The information says Deal admitted using the Community and Youth Involved Center’s debit card to purchase personal items for herself, with no intention of paying the money back. Deal also provided a handwritten letter for the Center’s Board of Directors apologizing for stealing the money and admitting that she knew her actions were wrong.

Grand Theft by Embezzlement Over $5,000 and Less than or Equal to $100,000 is a Class 4 Felony. It carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, a $20,000 fine and restitution to the victim.

The matter was investigated by the DCI, in cooperation with the Stanley County Sheriff’s Office.