Former DPS employee faces 26 forgery-related charges

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Charges have been filed against another former state government employee.

Renee Strong, 55, of Springfield was arrested Tuesday and indicted by a Hughes County Grand Jury on 26 felony counts.

Strong faces 13 Class 6 felony counts of Offering False or Forged Instruments for Filing or Recording in a Public Office and 13 Class 5 felony counts of Forgery.

Strong was an employee at the South Dakota Department of Public Safety and performed contracted work for the Department of Health.

According to Attorney General Marty Jackley, Strong allegedly forged and falsified food service inspection reports she was paid to do. Strong forged the business owner’s signature on the inspection forms and did not complete the inspections.

“This case is significant to the Attorney General’s Office because it involves not just taxpayer dollars but public health,” Jackley said.

Strong was paid hourly. She had been working for the Department of Public Safety for around a year.

The case began as a whistleblower report on October 7, 2024.

Each felony count of Offering False or Forged Instruments for Filing or Recording in a Public Office carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $4,000 fine. Each felony count of Forgery carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Strong has been arrested but has not yet made her initial court appearance.

All businesses involved, the Department of Public Safety and the Hughes County State’s Attorney’s Office have cooperated in the investigation.

“You’re busy enough in some of the food industry and maybe you didn’t notice they hadn’t come by, and I don’t fault them for that, that’s the state’s responsibility, and that responsibility wasn’t met,” Jackley stressed.

Strong’s bond has been set at $1,000.

This would be the fourth public corruption case in 2024 for the state of South Dakota.

It was announced in July that Lonna Carroll, a former Department of Social Services employee, allegedly stole around $1.8 million from the state. She allegedly took the money from the department’s Child Protection Services program while serving as an employee between 2010 and 2023. Carroll pled not guilty in August and her trial has been delayed until April.

A few weeks later, it was announced a former Department of Revenue employee used false titles to secure around $400,000 in loans through 13 forged vehicle titles. This happened over a timeframe of around seven years, between 2016 and 2023. Since the former employee has passed away, no charges were filed.

Danielle Degenstein, another DOR employee, was indicted on one misdemeanor of Misprision of a Felony for allegedly concealing her knowledge of the felony to authorities. Degenstein was listed as the notary agent on some of the transactions.

Lynne Hunsley, a third DOR employee, is accused of using her position with the Division of Motor Vehicles to falsify records between January of 2021 and June of 2023. Hunsley was indicted on seven counts; five felonies and two misdemeanors.

Both women pleaded not guilty to the charges in November.

Jackley hopes new legislation will detect and prevent corruption in South Dakota. He said there are new people in Pierre and along with growing public support, it’s time to put more teeth into corruption laws.