Timber Purchaser pleading guilty to timber theft.
Written by Jesse Baroka on June 5, 2023
NORTHERN WISCONSIN – A timber purchaser has pled guilty to timber theft in the Washburn District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. A federal judge has ordered the purchaser to pay more than $37 thousand in restitution and fines, and they were sentenced to two years of probation. The USDA Forest Service was made aware of this situation in the fall of 2021. The investigation eventually resulted in a federal grand jury returning a three-count indictment of timber theft and damage. On January 6, the timber purchaser entered a plea agreement and pled guilty to one count of timber theft sentenced by a federal judge on April 5, 2023. All contracts held by the timber purchaser were later canceled, and they will also be responsible for additional costs to the forest service.
