FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2019
Suspect pleads guilty
to second degree felony timber theft in Cherokee County
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – A suspected timber thief plead
guilty this week to a Second Degree Felony of Unauthorized Harvesting of Timber
valued between $100,000 and $200,000.
Thomas Curtis Fields, 49, of Frankston, Texas, harvested
timber on private property near Jacksonville, Texas in Cherokee County without
the landowner’s knowledge or permission.
“Unfortunately there are criminals out there who take
advantage of landowners and steal valuable timber without the landowner’s
knowledge,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Investigator Colton Covington.
The landowner had met with Fields to discuss an estimate on
the harvest a few months prior to discovering the theft of timber. No agreement
had been made nor contract drafted on the sale of the timber.
The conviction brings this case nearly to a close with the
restitution hearing to be set at a later date. The complaint was originally
received in November 2017 and submitted to District Attorney Andrew Webber in
January 2018. The case was presented to the Grand Jury in Cherokee County in
April 2018 with an indictment and felony warrant issued. The suspect was
arrested and bonded out in September 2018.
“Our law enforcement department works diligently with local
officials to help bring those responsible to justice,” said Covington. “Timber
theft is more common than most people think.”
Recent significant TFS investigations have resulted in close
to $289,000 being recovered and paid back to affected landowners.
Texas A&M Forest Service recommends ways landowners can
protect themselves from becoming victims of timber theft:
- Visit your property frequently.
- Have someone you know and trust report any
cutting on your land immediately.
- Never sign a contract without checking several
references of the buyer.
- For the best price, insist on getting bids for
your timber.
- Mark all property lines to assure cutting on
adjacent property does not encroach on yours.
- Utilize trail/deer cameras on your property that
can record suspicious activity or individuals.
If you are unfamiliar with selling timber, you are urged to
contact your local Texas A&M Forest Service office. Our field staff will
assist you with securing the assistance of a professional resource manager to
help select trees for harvest, estimate values and find potential buyers.
For more information, please visit https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/lawenforcement/reporttimbertheft/
To report suspected timber theft activity call the Timber
Theft Hotline 1-800-364-3470.
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CONTACTS
Jeremy Wagner, Chief Law Enforcement Officer, 832-494-7144, jwagner@tfs.tamu.edu
Texas A&M Forest Service Communications, 979-458-6606, newsmedia@tfs.tamu.edu