Timber Theft

Following a Texas A&M Forest Service timber theft investigation, $50,240 has been recovered to a group of Panola County landowners for unpaid timber sales.      The Panola County landowners entered a timber sale agreement with a timber harvesting company and were paid $21,167 for their timber, which they felt was a significantly low price […]

Gabriel Burress, 37, of Rye, Texas, was arrested Wednesday, Jan.15, 2025, in Liberty County for Unauthorized Harvesting of Timber valued between $500 – $20,000, a state jail felony.     Burress was arrested by the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Interdiction Unit and Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Department after a warrant was issued by Judge […]

Timber theft is on the rise with the price of timber increasing and more absentee landowners in Texas. While forest landowners initially feel the monetary loss, everyone loses because trees are taken without proper reforestation methods in place to ensure new forests for the future.  Many timber theft cases involve absentee landowners who are more […]

Colton Curles thrives on challenges. He loves the work he does as Texas A&M Forest Service Task Force Coordinator for the Central Branch, and he’s passionate about making a difference in his community.

A Newton County a man has been indicted by a grand jury on two counts of unauthorized harvest of timber.

A logging contractor has been indicted by a Rusk County grand jury on a state jail felony charge of timber purchase as trustee with intent to defraud.

The second of three men indicted in a timber theft investigation in Liberty County was convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity this month.

A Magnolia man has been sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication after pleading guilty earlier this month to unauthorized timber harvest.

Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigators and the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office arrested Frances Charline Lee Cole, 51, of Kaufman, Texas for theft of more than $2,500 and less than $30,000 in Hopkins County on March 2, 2022.

Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigators arrested Philip Eugene McKenzie, Jr, 60, of Magnolia, Texas on two counts of Timber Purchase as a Trustee with Intent to Defraud in Montgomery County on February 24, 2022.

Three suspects were indicted by a grand jury in Liberty County on the charge of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a second degree felony, on December 15, 2021.

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.

Texas A&M Forest Service law enforcement investigators arrested Jacob Twomey of Panola County on Monday, April 26, on a grand jury indictment.

Troy Grice of Groveton, Texas, was indicted on February 25, 2021, by a grand jury in Jasper County on the charge of Timber Purchase as Trustee with Intent to Defraud.

Texas A&M Forest Service law enforcement investigators arrested James Michael “Mike” Bennett of Cleveland, Texas for Timber Purchase as a Trustee with Intent to Defraud on Feb. 13, 2020 in Montgomery County. Bennett, 55, was charged with a state jail felony as the timber was valued between $500 and $20,000.

Troy Lee Grice, 48, of Groveton, Texas was arrested Feb. 16, 2020 in Cherokee County for Timber Purchase as a Trustee with Intent to Defraud. The timber is valued between $100,000 and $200,000, making the crime a second degree felony.

Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigators made an arrest earlier this month in an alleged timber theft case in Rusk County.

There will be a group of veterans from Team Rubicon on the William Goodrich Jones State Forest between May 25 through June 2 conducting restoration work to improve potential red-cockaded woodpecker nesting and foraging areas.

Wood, seemingly the humblest of building materials, has made a comeback. Stronger, safer and more beautiful than ever before, cross-laminated timber (CLT) eliminates concerns that formerly marked wood as a lesser building material.

Many of us appreciate urban trees for the aesthetic appeal they bring to our communities, neighborhoods and properties. Urban forests make up a vital part of Texas’ natural resources, providing aesthetic, recreational, health and environmental benefits.

Overview of timber theft and bill of sale laws in Texas

Following a Texas A&M Forest Service timber theft investigation, $50,240 has been recovered to a group of Panola County landowners for unpaid timber sales.      The Panola County landowners entered a timber sale agreement with a timber harvesting company and were paid $21,167 for their timber, which they felt was a significantly low price […]

Gabriel Burress, 37, of Rye, Texas, was arrested Wednesday, Jan.15, 2025, in Liberty County for Unauthorized Harvesting of Timber valued between $500 – $20,000, a state jail felony.     Burress was arrested by the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Interdiction Unit and Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Department after a warrant was issued by Judge […]

Colton Curles thrives on challenges. He loves the work he does as Texas A&M Forest Service Task Force Coordinator for the Central Branch, and he’s passionate about making a difference in his community.

A Newton County a man has been indicted by a grand jury on two counts of unauthorized harvest of timber.

A logging contractor has been indicted by a Rusk County grand jury on a state jail felony charge of timber purchase as trustee with intent to defraud.

The second of three men indicted in a timber theft investigation in Liberty County was convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity this month.

A Magnolia man has been sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication after pleading guilty earlier this month to unauthorized timber harvest.

Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigators and the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office arrested Frances Charline Lee Cole, 51, of Kaufman, Texas for theft of more than $2,500 and less than $30,000 in Hopkins County on March 2, 2022.

Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigators arrested Philip Eugene McKenzie, Jr, 60, of Magnolia, Texas on two counts of Timber Purchase as a Trustee with Intent to Defraud in Montgomery County on February 24, 2022.

Three suspects were indicted by a grand jury in Liberty County on the charge of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a second degree felony, on December 15, 2021.

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.

Texas A&M Forest Service law enforcement investigators arrested Jacob Twomey of Panola County on Monday, April 26, on a grand jury indictment.

Troy Grice of Groveton, Texas, was indicted on February 25, 2021, by a grand jury in Jasper County on the charge of Timber Purchase as Trustee with Intent to Defraud.

Texas A&M Forest Service law enforcement investigators arrested James Michael “Mike” Bennett of Cleveland, Texas for Timber Purchase as a Trustee with Intent to Defraud on Feb. 13, 2020 in Montgomery County. Bennett, 55, was charged with a state jail felony as the timber was valued between $500 and $20,000.

Troy Lee Grice, 48, of Groveton, Texas was arrested Feb. 16, 2020 in Cherokee County for Timber Purchase as a Trustee with Intent to Defraud. The timber is valued between $100,000 and $200,000, making the crime a second degree felony.

Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigators made an arrest earlier this month in an alleged timber theft case in Rusk County.

There will be a group of veterans from Team Rubicon on the William Goodrich Jones State Forest between May 25 through June 2 conducting restoration work to improve potential red-cockaded woodpecker nesting and foraging areas.

Wood, seemingly the humblest of building materials, has made a comeback. Stronger, safer and more beautiful than ever before, cross-laminated timber (CLT) eliminates concerns that formerly marked wood as a lesser building material.

Many of us appreciate urban trees for the aesthetic appeal they bring to our communities, neighborhoods and properties. Urban forests make up a vital part of Texas’ natural resources, providing aesthetic, recreational, health and environmental benefits.

Timber theft is on the rise with the price of timber increasing and more absentee landowners in Texas. While forest landowners initially feel the monetary loss, everyone loses because trees are taken without proper reforestation methods in place to ensure new forests for the future.  Many timber theft cases involve absentee landowners who are more […]

Overview of timber theft and bill of sale laws in Texas