Plea Agreement Rejected
Dallas Rice of Minot withdrew his guilty plea in North Central District Court on Friday, Oct. 16, continuing a felony theft case that has involved rejected plea agreements and competing legal maneuvers between district and state Supreme Court judges.
Rice faces two Class A felony charges stemming from money discovered missing in July 2025 from Souris Valley Bowmen, a historic archery club established in 1952 in Trestle Valley near Minot. The organization operates outdoor field courses, a 3D course, and an indoor range. Rice had served as president of the club when he was charged in March with theft over $50,000 and conspiracy to commit theft in excess of $50,000.
Rice has already repaid approximately $160,000 in restitution to the organization.
Plea Agreement Rejected
The case took an unusual turn when District Judge Gary Lee rejected a plea agreement on Sept. 28 in which Rice had pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. The agreement would have dismissed the theft charge and sentenced Rice only on conspiracy, though proposed sentence details were not disclosed.
Rather than allow Rice to withdraw his plea immediately, Lee canceled his bond and ordered him taken into custody. Judge Lee, who serves as Presiding Judge of the North Central Judicial District with chambers at the Ward County Courthouse in Minot, was elected to the position in 2025. The district serves Ward, Burke, and Mountrail counties.
Supreme Court Intervention
Rice and his attorney, Ashley Gulke, appealed to the North Dakota Supreme Court to reverse Lee's custody order. The state's highest court, which has five justices elected on nonpartisan ballots for ten-year terms and holds appellate jurisdiction over district courts, granted the request.
The Supreme Court has not yet acted on Rice's additional request for a new judge to be assigned to the case.
Following the Supreme Court's reversal, Lee reinstated Rice's original unsecured bond of $5,000 on Friday after permitting him to withdraw the guilty plea, allowing his release from custody.
Legal Stakes
With the plea withdrawal, Rice now continues to face both original counts. Under North Dakota law, both charges qualify as Class A felonies because the amount exceeds $50,000. Each count carries identical maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
North Dakota statute defines conspiracy as an offense carrying the same classification as the crime that was the conspiracy's objective. A person commits conspiracy by agreeing with one or more individuals to engage in conduct constituting an offense when any conspirator performs an overt act to advance the conspiracy's goal.
A status conference has been scheduled for Nov. 17, with a jury trial set for Jan. 19-22.
