A group of Panola County landowners has recovered $50,240 following a Texas A&M Forest Service timber theft investigation.
The landowners had entered a timber sale agreement with a timber harvesting company and were paid $21,167 for their timber. Believing the payment was significantly lower than expected based on the harvesting contract and timber volume removed, the landowners filed a complaint with the Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Department.
Investigators began their inquiry on January 12, 2025, examining documents such as scale tickets, loader sheets, and financial statements. The investigation determined that the timber harvesting company owed the landowners an additional $41,655. Investigators also found $8,585 worth of timber that had been cut but not yet hauled to a mill.
On February 21, 2025, the timber harvesting company paid the full outstanding amount of $50,240 in timber trust funds to the landowners.
“Our Law Enforcement investigators were very diligent during this investigation in meeting with the landowner and harvester and assessing documents related to the sale to determine the value of timber the landowners were owed,” said Jarred Lemmon, Texas A&M Forest Service Assistant Chief Law Enforcement Officer.
So far in 2025, Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers have recovered over $79,000 for landowners affected by timber theft, surpassing the $53,000 recovered in 2024.
Landowners are encouraged to take steps to prevent timber theft, including visiting their property frequently, marking property lines, and using trail cameras to monitor activity. Suspected timber theft can be reported to the Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Timber Theft Hotline at 1-800-364-3470.
