February 27, 2023

73-Year-Old Louisiana Man Arrested for Alleged Theft of Over $280K Worth of Timber 

Louisiana – A 73-year-old Louisiana man has been arrested for the alleged theft of over $280,000 worth of timber.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) reported on February 27, 2023, that on February 17, 73-year-old James H. Rowland of Columbia, Louisiana, was arrested after an investigation by the LDAF Forestry Enforcement Division.

Investigators discovered that James H. Rowland was hired to harvest timber on an estimated 1300-acre area in Caldwell Parish from December 2021 to January 2023. Rowland allegedly withheld revenues from timber cut off the tract and refused to report and pay for loads of timber, depriving timber owners of their share of the timber sale proceeds. Rowland allegedly kept the money.
The delivered value of the timber was judged to be $283,996.88.

“Whether it involves theft or arson, LDAF’s Forestry Enforcement Division takes all forestry-related crimes seriously,” said LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M. “In addition to educating landowners on best practices associated with managing their timber, we’re committed to assisting with investigations that help victims recover any stolen profits.”

Anyone convicted of the theft of timber when the misappropriation or taking amounts to a value of $25,000 or more shall be fined not more than $10,000 and imprisoned at hard labor for not more than ten years.

The general public is encouraged to report any forestry-related offenses to the LDAF Office of Forestry at 225-925-4500 or to the LDAF's 24-hour hotline at 1-855-452-5323.

An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.