Miss. man accused of timber theft

A Mississippi man was arrested May 10 on charges of timber theft stemming from a harvest almost two years ago, according to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF).

Kenan Shotwell Gwinn of Natchez, Mississippi, was charged in Catahoula Parish after LDAF investigators determined while he was harvesting timber in fall 2022 he cut across a marked boundary line and cut two acres of cypress and hardwood loogs of an adjoining tract with permission of the landowner, LDAF said in a press release.

"Even after being made aware of cutting the victim's timber, Gwinn still failed to pay the damages after all this time," the LDAF press release stated. ""The loads of timber were valued at $13,429."

Followning his arrest, bond for Gwinn was released on $13,429.34 bond on the same day of his arrest, according to LDAF.

LDAF reminds readers "All persons accused of any crime are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law."

Anyone knowing any forestry-related crimes to contact the LDAF Office of Forestry at 225-925-4500 or call the 24-hour hotline at 855-452-5323.