The defendant, Sturgil Lowman, owner of Lowman Lumber Company of Bainbridge, Ohio was convicted of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the 4^th degree, and Criminal Damaging, a misdemeanor of the 2^nd degree on August 22, 2007.

 

This defendant was indicted by the Montgomery County Grand Jury on February 23, 2007 for logging approximately 12 acres of forest in Butler Township in June 2006 without the owner’s permission.  This defendant not only cut down trees and stole them, but he left behind land that was scarred with bulldozed trails crisscrossing the property, numerous stumps and large tree branches that were discarded, blocking perennial streams.  His actions caused damage to the land that will literally take generations to correct.

 

The defendant, through his agent, had made numerous attempts to purchase the logging rights to the land from the owner in the past.  The landowner was resolute that she did not want to sell the trees on her land to a lumber company. 

 

Prosecutor Mat Heck, Jr. said, “Theft of lumber, in this case a whole forest of trees, is somewhat unusual, but it is a real and growing problem in Ohio as the value of lumber increases.  The actions of this defendant decimated this landowner’s property.  What was once a pristine forest was left an absolute wasteland.”

 

The defendant will be sentenced on September 19, 2007.  He faces potential penalties of up to 18 months incarceration and $5,000 in fines for the felony conviction and up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine for the misdemeanor conviction.