Pennington County (trfnews.i234.me) – A Grafton, North Dakota man is facing three felony threats of violence charges after a domestic incident involving children in Pennington County.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the Ninth Judicial District Court, deputies responded on July 21, 2025, to a report of a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, deputies interviewed three juveniles who reported Billy Joe Deane Stroh, 48, had been yelling at them, kicking them out of a camper, and making repeated threats.
One child told deputies Stroh threatened to “hang them from a tree” and said he would kill the child’s father. Another juvenile reported that Stroh threatened to beat him and his siblings and made upsetting comments about their parents. The children ran and hid in a ditch before calling law enforcement.
Deputies later interviewed Stroh, who admitted being angry and calling the children names but denied physically harming them. Stroh has a prior conviction for violating an order of protection in 2022.
If convicted, Stroh faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine per count. The case is filed under 57-CR-25-480 in Pennington County District Court.