Wheeler couple accused of selling land twice may get a deal

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE  — A Wheeler couple accused of selling the same five acres of land to two different buyers may have reached a plea deal.

Douglas A. Snyder, 50, and Lisa A. Snyder, 45, are charged with one felony count each of theft and false representation greater than $10,000.

The Snyders are accused of accepting payments of $10,000 from Shane Cutting, and his girlfriend, Laminda Hanson, over a period of years for five acres in the Town of Hay River and then selling an eight-acre parcel that contained the five acres to Andrew DeRaad in January of 2012 for $16,000.

During a court hearing May 21, Steve Muza, the attorney representing the Snyders, told the Honorable William Stewart that a resolution to the case may have been reached and that it would involve transferring real estate.

Muza said he was “reasonably confident that (the issue) will be resolved” by the time of an August court hearing.

Muza also said that he is anticipating a motion to dismiss the case before the August hearing.

According to the criminal complaint: Cutting contacted the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department on March 2, 2012, to say that he had purchased five acres of land for $10,000 from Doug and Lisa Snyder and that he had been trying to get the Snyders to draft a sales contract so the property could be registered in his own name.

Cutting said he had also heard rumors that the Snyders were trying to sell the same property to someone else, and that while he did not have a sales contract, he did have all of the receipts showing the payments had been made for the property.

The next day, Cutting reported to the sheriff’s department that the Dunn County Register of Deeds office had informed him that the five acres he had purchased from the Snyders had been sold to Andrew DeRaad on January 12, 2012, as part of an 8.25 acre parcel.

Theft and false representation over $10,000 is a Class G felony that carries a fine of up to $25,000 and/or ten years in prison.

The Snyders are scheduled to appear in Dunn County Circuit Court again on August 5.