DeSoto Parish man arrested for theft of timber
For immediate release: April 1, 2024
Baton Rouge, La. – On March 26, 2024, Michael Whitaker of Mansfield, LA, was arrested for theft of timber following an investigation by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Forestry Enforcement Division.
In January 2024, LDAF Forestry Enforcement received a complaint of possible timber theft in DeSoto Parish. The timber owners reported that between October and December 2023, Whitaker harvested timber from their property off Horn Rd. without their permission, resulting in over $6000 worth of timber being harvested from their property.
Agents found that while Whitaker was cutting on an adjacent property, he failed to mark the property lines, which resulted in 2.1 acres of the victim’s property being cut. As a result, 180.51 tons of timber were harvested. This timber had a delivered value of $10,363.07.
LDAF Enforcement agents obtained a warrant on Whitaker for timber theft. He was arrested on March 26 on one count of theft of timber in violation of LA Law R.S. 14:67.2 and booked into the DeSoto Parish Jail.
Note: All persons accused of any crime are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The public is urged to report any forestry-related crimes to the LDAF Office of Forestry at 225-925-4500 or LDAF’s 24-hour hotline at 1-855-452-5323. ### For more information regarding the press release, please contact LDAFCommunications@ldaf.state.la.us. For interview requests, please contact PressSecretary@ldaf.state.la.us.