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Maple Cutter Pleads Guilty To Poaching

NWNews | By Chris Lehman,
Chris Lehman
Published September 10, 2015 at 5:49 PM MDT
Federal prosecutors allege these bigleaf maples in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest were cut down by poachers.
U.S. Department of Justice
Federal prosecutors allege these bigleaf maples in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest were cut down by poachers.

A southwest Washington man has pleaded guilty to poaching bigleaf maple trees from U.S. Forest Service land. Ryan Anthony Justice entered his plea Thursday in federal court in Tacoma.

Justice admitted he cut maple trees in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and sold the wood to J&L Tonewoods, a mill that specialized in “figured” maple for musical instruments. The mill owner and two other alleged poachers were also charged in the case and have pleaded not guilty.

As part of his plea deal, prosecutors will recommend Justice spend 15 months in prison plus pay restitution.

The trial for the other defendants in the case has been set for January of next year.

Copyright 2021 Northwest News Network. To see more, visit Northwest News Network.

Northwest News Network
Chris Lehman
Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.
See stories by Chris Lehman
Chris Lehman
Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.

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