Philip Eugene McKenzie Jr., a 60-year-old Magnolia, Texas resident, was arrested on February 24, 2022, on Walker County warrants charging him with timber fraud out of Huntsville. He faces two counts of timber purchase as a trustee with intent to defraud, both Texas state jail felonies, after allegedly signing harvest contracts with two Walker County landowners, cutting and removing their trees, and never paying them.1Texas A&M Forest Service. Arrest Made on Walker County Warrants for Timber Fraud
How the Alleged Scheme Worked
The Texas A&M Forest Service says McKenzie entered into formal timber harvest agreements with two landowners in Walker County. He then harvested the timber under those contracts and failed to deliver the agreed payment. The agency did not publicly identify the two landowners.1Texas A&M Forest Service. Arrest Made on Walker County Warrants for Timber Fraud
The Charges and What They Carry
Each Walker County count is a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. A third charge, unauthorized timber harvest, was pending in Montgomery County at the time of his arrest.1Texas A&M Forest Service. Arrest Made on Walker County Warrants for Timber Fraud
Investigators Suspect More Victims
Texas A&M Forest Service criminal investigator Josh Mizrany led the case and said the agency suspected “a pattern of criminal behavior” beyond the two known landowners. Mizrany urged anyone who believes they were defrauded in a similar way to contact the Forest Service’s Timber Theft Hotline.1Texas A&M Forest Service. Arrest Made on Walker County Warrants for Timber Fraud
Timber Fraud in East Texas
Timber fraud recurs in the heavily forested counties of East Texas, where landowners sometimes contract with buyers who harvest valuable pine and hardwood and then disappear without paying. The Texas A&M Forest Service runs a dedicated law enforcement division and a timber theft hotline to investigate these cases, and Walker County and its neighbors are frequent sites of such disputes.