Louisiana man accused of timber theft, owes over $24,000
A Louisiana man was arrested after allegedly failing to pay for timber worth over $24,000.
BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) - A Louisiana man was arrested after allegedly failing to pay for timber worth over $24,000.
James Travis Johnson, 48, was charged with one count of harvest of forest products/failure to remit payment according to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF).
According to LDAF, agents received a complaint from a landowner in Vernon Parish about not getting paid for their timber.
LDAF said that the landowner hired Johnson Logging to cut timber and compensate their proceeds from the sale. Once the job was done, no records or payment had been received and the landowner stated that they were never paid for the timber, according to LDAF.
Through an investigation, it was revealed that the landowner was owed around $24,407.65 for the timber.
On Nov. 16, Johnson turned himself in at the Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office.
His bond was set at $20,000.
“Timber theft can take a variety of forms—from harvesting timber without the landowner’s knowledge or consent to entering into a formal agreement and not paying them the full purchase price,” LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain said. “LDAF agents are committed to helping landowners get paid for their timber in cases like this.”
Disclaimer: All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.