The two men who allegedly stole two tractors and a car in Letcher the night of Jan. 16 were indicted by a Sanborn County grand jury last Wednesday on three counts of grand theft.
Brandon Mehlbrech, 27, of Mitchell and Allen Antaya, 20, of Plankinton allegedly took a car and a tractor from a Letcher repair shop and left the car in a ditch south of town. A Letcher city-owned tractor was also taken and both tractors were found stuck in a slough a mile north of town.
Mehlbrech and Antaya have also been charged with second degree arson in an Aurora County house fire that took place that same night.
Each of the men is charged with two counts of Class 4 felony grand theft and one count of Class 5 felony grand theft. A Class 4 felony is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine and a Class 5 by five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The Aurora County arson charge is also a Class 4 felony.
The men are scheduled to next appear in Sanborn County court on May 13.

Concerned local citizens have been visiting with Game, Fish and Parks officials recently about possible options to help remedy Twin Lakes’ fish winterkill problem and would like to begin a discussion with interested persons.
Anyone interested in the future of Twin Lakes is asked to contact Judy Brisbine at jbris@santel.net or at 796-4491, and she will forward a list of contacts to the Game, Fish and Parks.
Lott says the GFP would be happy to set up a meeting to discuss the feasibility of an aeration system or possible other actions, if there is enough interest in the community.
GFP Regional Fisheries Manager Todd St. Sauver and GFP Aquatic Resources Chief John Lott have been in contact with local residents and have both expressed concern over the fishkills at Twin Lakes.
Sauver writes, “Lake aeration is a potential tool; however, the equipment is expensive, the annual operating costs are high and they are not a guarantee against fish kills…. [and] GFP does not have the financial resources to install and operate aeration systems.”
He adds that the GFP will, however, “cooperate with any group who wishes to install and operate an aeration system in public waters by providing technical advice and facilitating the required permitting process.”
Lake aeration systems are used in other eastern South Dakota lakes with similar problems as Twin Lakes and are owned and operated by local sportsman’s groups and lake associations.
Sauver goes on to state that the wells, which were capped by mandate of state law in the late 1980s, probably only provided enough water each year to partially compensate for natural evaporation, so it is unclear whether or not they reduced winterkills.