By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A Morton man was convicted yesterday of stealing old growth cedar from the National Forest and selling it to a local mill.
James R. Van Renselaar, 45, was caught by a U.S. Forest Service officer with a chain saw and bolts of cedar northwest of Morton in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in March 2008, according to authorities.
His attorney Mike Underwood said his client’s partner who took the wood to the shake mill had a permit which turned out not to be valid.
A jury in Lewis County Superior Court deliberated less than two hours before finding Van Renselaar guilty of first-degree trafficking in stolen property and second-degree theft
His sentencing date will be be decided next week.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter