The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry worked a timber theft investigation with officials from Harrison County, Texas, and the FBI that led to the recent sentencing of a Converse man, Agriculture and Forestry Bob Odom said.

James "J.C." Hall, 67, was sentenced Aug. 8 in Federal Court in Marshall, Texas, to five years probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $208,254.76 to the victims of his timber theft scheme.

"I'm always pleased when one of the department's investigators is able to help a family get back what was wrongly taken from them," Odom said.

"Our investigators, like Jim Baldwin who worked this case, take timber theft seriously and work with other law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to see to it that justice is carried out."

Earlier this year, Hall elected to enter a guilty plea on the federal charge of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce instead of going to trial.

Hall conspired with Harold Thompson, 49, formerly of Caddo Parish, to steal timber in east Texas and west Louisiana. Thompson fabricated timber deeds and then listed Hall as the person who cut the timber. The men shared the profits of the timber sales.

According to reports, a landowner in east Texas caught Hall and his crew in the act of cutting timber without permission and held them at gunpoint until authorities arrived. Investigators then spent about a year putting together the case against Thompson and Hall.

Thompson pled guilty to felony theft and was sentenced to three years in state prison.

The tracts of timber Hall pled guilty to cutting were owned by the Culvert family in Bossier Parish, and a business and family in Harrison County.

Anyone suspecting they've been a victim of timber theft should call one of the department's district forestry offices immediately. The sooner our investigators get started on the case, the better," Odom said.

LDAF's Baton Rouge headquarters can also take timber theft calls and dispatch them to the appropriate district office, the number is 225-925-4500.

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