Clinton Moore, 61, of Nacogdoches, Texas,
was arrested August 24, 2021 in Cherokee County for Timber Purchase as a
Trustee with Intent to Defraud on timber valued between $20,000 - $100,000, a third
degree felony. Moore turned himself in to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s
Office after a warrant was obtained by Texas
A&M Forest Service law enforcement officers with a $12,000 bond.
The plaintiffs in the case are landowners who originally entered
into a verbal agreement with Moore to harvest standing timber from their
60-acre property in the Recklaw community of Cherokee County. The agreement with
Moore was to harvest all merchantable timber for fair market value with an
approximation of $2,000 given.
After recurring non-payment issues,
the plaintiffs contacted Texas A&M Forest Service for assistance. Law
Enforcement Investigator Mike
Kuhnert began an investigation and discovered
that Moore actually owed the complainants more than $23,000 in stumpage - which
was based off the fair market values given by Moore.
Moore would blame the non-payment of timber trust
funds on external reasons such as equipment breakdowns and wet weather conditions.
“As an Investigator with the Texas A&M Forest Service
Law Enforcement Department, I understand the hardships that sometimes fall in
this profession, such as weather, quotas, equipment breakdowns, COVID-19, etcetera.
We have heard every excuse given for reason of non-payments, or partial
payments,” said Kuhnert. “My goal in all of these cases is to get the landowner
made whole, but there comes a time when excuses run out - which leads to where
we are now.”
This case was submitted to a grand jury and received an indictment
leading to Moore’s arrest.
“Landowners can protect their
property and investment by closely monitoring their harvest,” said Kuhnert. “It is very important that every timber contract
clearly state terms of payment. In the event that a contractor fails to adhere
to those terms, the landowner should halt the process until payment is received.”
To prevent timber theft, landowners should:
Visit their property frequently.
Have someone they know and trust
report any cutting on their land immediately.
Never sign a contract without
checking several references of the buyer.
For the best price, insist on
getting bids for their timber.
Mark all property lines to assure
cutting on adjacent property does not encroach on theirs.
Utilize trail/deer cameras on their
property that can record suspicious activity or individuals.
Always hold their timber contractor
to the agreed upon terms.
Landowners who are unfamiliar with selling their timber
are urged to contact their local Texas A&M Forest Service office. Texas
A&M Forest Service field staff assists landowners with the process of
securing the services of a professional resource manager to help select trees
for harvest, estimate values and find potential buyers.
To report suspected timber theft or suspicious activity, call
the Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Timber Theft Hotline at 1-800-364-3470.
The Texas A&M Forest Service Law
Enforcement Department works diligently with local officials to help bring
those responsible for timber theft and other violations of the natural resource
code to justice.
To contact a Texas A&M
Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigator your area, please visit https://ticc.tamu.edu/Documents/Home/LE_Map.pdf.
###
Contacts:
Mike Kuhnert, Law Enforcement Investigator, Texas A&M
Forest Service, 936-546-3452, mkuhnert@tfs.tamu.edu
Texas A&M Forest Service Communications Office, 979-458-6606,
newsmedia@tfs.tamu.edu