Jefferson Co. man gets 1 year for national forest tree theft
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - The U.S. attorney's office says a 41-year-old Brinnon man has been sentenced to a year in prison for stealing more than $70,000 worth of timber from the Olympic National Forest, including one tree estimated to be more than 300 years old.
Reid Johnston was sentenced Friday in federal court in Tacoma. Government prosecutors estimate Johnston stole or damaged about 100 trees, many of them old growth timber in a protected habitat area.
He earlier pleaded guilty to thefts of fir, cedar and maple trees between May 2009 and January 2010.
One large Douglas fir log had a trunk that was about 7 feet in diameter. The tree was estimated to be more than 300 years old. The maple was cut into blocks and sold for the production of musical instruments such as cellos and guitars.
A restitution hearing is planned in January.
Reid Johnston was sentenced Friday in federal court in Tacoma. Government prosecutors estimate Johnston stole or damaged about 100 trees, many of them old growth timber in a protected habitat area.
He earlier pleaded guilty to thefts of fir, cedar and maple trees between May 2009 and January 2010.
One large Douglas fir log had a trunk that was about 7 feet in diameter. The tree was estimated to be more than 300 years old. The maple was cut into blocks and sold for the production of musical instruments such as cellos and guitars.
A restitution hearing is planned in January.
From the headline and being Christmas time, I thought it was going to say someone got a year in prison for accidentally shopping a Christmas tree without a permit!
whats sad is that the sentence is harsher than what a someone would get for killing another behind the wheel while drunk.
I could see if he was damaging trees and selling the blocks of wood but to take branches and timber where the tree has been uprooted or died, I don't understand what the big deal is. We allow lumber companies to come in and destroy trees that have absolutely nothing wrong with them.Â
He was not taking branches and uprooted trees. He was cutting old growth timber. He then cut and sold the blocks. read the article.
@PrairieDawn Timber companies harvest trees legally. This guy was stealing.
I really don't think a year is enough. They should also confiscate everything he has as proceeds from his illegal theft of those trees. As part of his release he should be made to plant 200 more trees that will one day add to our forests.
His father was a great man. I'm not sure why the son took the dishonest route.
 @memory9 poor parenting, bad choices of friends or drugs is my guess
Yeah timber theif! what was he thinking no body is going to miss these tree?
and a year for doing it? should get at least 25 years per tree.