Big leaf maple thief sentenced to 6 months in prison
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WINLOCK, Wash. - J&L Tonewood owner, Harold Clause Kupers was recently sentenced for trafficking illegally harvested big leaf maple from Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Southwest Washington state.

A U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington sentenced Kupers to six months in prison, six months of home detention and three years of supervised release and $159,692 in restitution for violating the Lacey Act by trafficking in big leaf maple illegally cut on national forest land, announced. At the hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, “You were a central figure in what made this all [the stolen maple trade] work….You knew you were getting stolen wood, but you hid behind ignorance.”

“As long as unscrupulous mill owners like this defendant create a market for poached wood, our protected forests are at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.  “This defendant was effectively a ‘fence’ for stolen goods.  In his case not stolen jewelry or electronics, but stolen publicly owned and irreplaceable natural resources.”

According to records in the case, in April 2012, law enforcement officers with the U.S. Forest Service met with Kupers and specifically informed him that he was required by Washington law to review Specialized Forest Products Permits for all persons from whom he purchased maple.  Despite being put on notice, between April 2012 and March 2014, Kupers continued to purchase figured maple without requiring the harvesters to display a Specialized Forest Products permit.  Kupers then sold this figured maple to purchasers in interstate commerce for total revenues of $499,414.

Three men who illegally cut the wood previously pleaded guilty to theft of public property or conspiracy to steal public property for illegally harvesting the maple trees in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in November and December 2011 and May 2012.  James Miller, 36, of Morton, Washington was sentenced in February 2016 to six months in prison and three years of supervised release.  Ryan Justice, 28, of Randle, Washington, was sentenced in December 2015 to 15 months in prison.  Kevin Mullins, 56, of Packwood, Washington is scheduled for sentencing June 6, 2016.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Forest Service and being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and Matthew Diggs.

 

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Michaelle Bradford | Editor

Michaelle Bradford, CCI Media, is Editor of Closets & Organized Storage magazine and Woodworking Network editor. She has more than 20 years of experience covering the woodworking and design industry, including visits to custom cabinet shops, closet firms and design studios throughout North America. As Editor of Closets & Organized Storage magazine under the Woodworking Network brand, Michaelle’s responsibilities include writing, editing, and coordinating editorial content as well as managing annual design competitions like the Top Shelf Design Awards. She is also a contributor to FDMC and other Woodworking Network online and print media owned by CCI Media.