The $100,000 OoPs

[Ron Scott]

15 grade black cherry logs were stolen from the landing on one of my jobs (Flint timber harvest) yesterday or last night. The loggers were pretty upset this morning and hopefully the Sheriff or State Police will locate "the culprit" before they do.

To make matters worst, "the culprit", must have used their Iron Mule forwarder (shown in Timber Harvesting and Equipment Thread) to load them. The guys worked to hard for these logs to have someone "snitch" them.

[Tom]

I absolutely hate a thief

I don't know if I'm pulling for the police department or the loggers.  Scum bags that take what isn't theirs and impact someone's livelihood should have something happen to them other than a hand slap from the Justice of the Peace.  Grrrrrr.

Ron, you should make a separate post of this in General and give the address of a contact.  Maybe there will be more eyes looking for stolen cherry.

[Jeff]

Ron, where abouts is the property? Seems like with all the snow, there should be lots of clues, unless it snowed again... :-/

Sounds like an inside job to me.  We had a similar thing happen at the mill couple years ago. A whole semi truck load of aspen. We could tell by the prints in the snow. all the impressions of the pile, but no fork truck tire tracks, just log truck. Cops followed the tracks. Turned out it was OUR truck that took them. Never proved who it was but had a clear idea.

[rebocardo]

My opinion is if you steal from people that use chainsaws and axes and get caught, do not cry to me because you got a SHARP rebuke.

Like that idiot in the news that went to hold up a Italian restaurant (Papa Johns?) with a knife and he found out, before the police arrived, that guys that slice up sandwiches all day know about knifes too. One guy against four other guys with knifes behind the counter, not hard to see the outcome. Genetics at its best.

You have to wonder how many innocent trees have been taken down by mistake. This may be the first time they were caught.

Finally a case for a lawyer
 :

[SasquatchMan]

There was a case here about 15 yrs ago where a guy robbed a pharmacy, and the counterman who had owned the place for a million years said "Okay okay just don't hurt anyone" and gave up the till etc.  Then when the dude left, counterman pulls out a shotgun and blammo - shot the guy right in the back.  It just doesn't pay to fool with a man's livelihood.

BTW I'm rootin for the loggers in the above post.

[Ron Scott]

Jeff,

The job is just a few miles south of Cadillac off the Mackinaw Trail. The State Police investigated and have a potential suspect, but no proof yet.