Cass County Logger Accused of Timber Theft in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, LA. (AP) — A Northeast Texas logger faces one count of felony timber theft following an investigation by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. On Thursday, forestry agents arrested Ronnie Dale Clayton of Linden, Texas, and booked him into the Caddo Parish Detention Center. Clayton is accused of cutting an 80 acre tract of timber in Rodessa in Caddo Parish without first obtaining consent from 80% of the landowners. Agents say Clayton assisted a landowner in securing a Texas notary, who notarized 15 falsified timber cutting agreements. They say Clayton paid the owner $35,000 for the timber. Agents found numerous heirs that had no knowledge the timber had been cut. Clayton posted a $20,000 bond and was release.