Timber theft became a headline this week when rrspin.com first reported William Roland Massey III of Pleasant Hill was charged following an investigation. The probe was a joint effort by the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, the district attorney’s office and forest resources.

The timber industry is one, Smith said, “Where there is the opportunity to be misled.” Selling timber is usually a once in a lifetime opportunity because it takes 30 to 40 years to mature.

This is what happened in the Massey case, Smith said.

“It’s something where somebody needs to give you advice to make educated decisions,” he said Friday. “If you’re not familiar with timber, you need to talk with someone who is familiar with timber.”

The forest service has those resources, Smith said. “If someone has a question about a tree in their yard they believe is dying they can call the office. There is no charge.”

The advice state foresters give also applies to big stands of timber. “They will come out and say the timber is not ready to be cut. They will give them that guidance.”

Foresters will give landowners a list of reputable timber professionals they can contact to have their trees harvested. “It may be a list of 12 folks. We don’t tell you who to use.”

In the Massey case, the 52-year-old man had a legitimate contract to buy and have timber cut, Smith said.

Massey, however, also allegedly had loggers cut timber which wasn’t included in the agreement. In many cases, Smith said, “The loggers that come in and cut the stuff don’t have a clue. They usually don’t know.”

There was about $9,000 worth of timber cut illegally.

In many cases the crime is never caught because of the many absentee landowners in the county. What led to Massey being caught was someone saw decks were put down to allow machinery to move across often soft ground. The landowner was notified and the sheriff’s office was called. That was in July and Massey turned himself in this week.

The timber industry is not regulated as well as it could be in North Carolina, Smith said. Conversely, some states don’t have laws as tough as North Carolina’s. In North Carolina, it is the responsibility of the landowner to check their property.

Timber theft is not something a petty thief can do because in some cases it requires knowledge of land records and the ability to navigate a register of deeds office.

That’s why Massey, who was charged with two counts of cutting, injuring or removing another’s timber and one count of injury to trees, crops or land of another, also faces two counts of forgery of deeds or wills.

Smith said it appears a deed was drawn for an heir of a property which said there was only one surviving heir, when there were several. The victim who signed the deed either did not realize there were other heirs or did not notify them.

More information can be obtained by calling Halifax County Ranger Jim Short at 252-826-3219.