Sawyer man convicted of timber theft

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Sawyer man convicted of timber theft
March 2, 2007 Outdoors Weekly

A timber theft case from 2006 has resulted in a felony conviction, fines and restitution of nearly $15,000, and year in jail for a Sawyer, Minn. man.
According to the criminal complaint, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Officer Jeff Humphrey of Cloquet received a report that Fredrick Barney Olesiak, 48, had sold stolen timber from state land. After both a ground and air search of the complaint area by state conservation officers, wood debris was observed in Olesiak’s driveway running into nearby state land. Aerial photos of the area by Conservation Officer/Pilot Al Buchert later identified a large impact area based on the differences in tree canopy cover shown in the photos.
A visit to the Olesiak residence by conservation officers and DNR Forestry Division personnel found several fresh cut Aspen logs neatly placed in the driveway. There was also a large number of bundled boughs and tops stacked in a hay wagon. A nearby trail led to a logged out area with stumps and wood slash and debris present. Olesiak had no permit for the wood and was ordered to immediately stop working at the site. A later check of mill tickets showed Olesiak had been paid $3,000 for a series of deliveries between Jan. 27, 2006, and Feb. 15, 2006.
A secondary investigation began Feb. 20, 2006, when boughs and tops were located on Olesiak’s property. Forensic testing by DNR Forestry’s Craig Sterle and Curt Cogan tied the tops at Olesiak’s house to state samples. It was also alleged that Olesiak could be involved in the sale of unlawfully obtained decorative boughs and tops since he had not submitted any paperwork or consent forms to Forestry officials.
Further investigation revealed that Olesiak had been issued nine checks totaling $3,267 for the sale of boughs and tops to a local wreath making business between Oct. 14, 2005, and Nov. 25, 2005.
Humphrey said timber theft is an attractive crime due to high timber prices.
“It is highly profitable for thieves and difficult to catch and convict them,” Humphrey said. “There has also been little publicity about the crime itself. As a result, many private landowners do not realize that timber theft is a severe problem which could affect their landholdings.”
The case was handled by the Minnesota DNR and the Carlton County Attorney’s Office.