Sioux Falls man charged with bigamy

A Sioux Falls man was charged with bigamy after his original wife reported to police that he had married a second woman.

The man's first wife, from southwest Minnesota, reported that she and her husband, Christopher Thielsen, were married in 2013, but the relationship ended in March of this year. Thielsen was remarried in May at the Japanese Gardens, according to documents.

While the couple has been estranged from each other for 10 weeks, there wasn't a dissolution of marriage or a separation filed, according to documents.

More:Sioux Falls police investigating report of bigamy

The woman reported her marriage certificate was filed at the Minnehaha County Register of Deeds in October of 2013. When approached by police, Thielsen said he didn't believe the original marriage certificate was ever filed, according to documents. The latest marriage certificate was filed on May 13.

Polygamy was outlawed federally by the Edmunds Act in 1882 and there are laws against the practice in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Bigamy is a class 6 felony in South Dakota, punishable by up to two years in the state penitentiary or a $4,000 fine.

There are exceptions to the bigamy law, such as if a husband or wife has been absent for five years and is believed to be dead, or if a court has nullified or voided the marriage.

Correction: an earlier version of this article incorrectly listed the last bigamy case in South Dakota and the current location of Thielsen's original wife.