Stolen Property Recovered, Timber Thefts Investigated

Stolen Property Recovered, Timber Thefts Investigated

POMEROY, Ohio – The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating timber thefts which has lead to the recovery of a stolen property.

According to a statement from Sheriff Keith Wood, his office had received several complaints of the theft of walnut trees on Pageville Road in last several days.  On Feb. 24, the Sheriff’s Office received a call that walnut trees were being cut down on Pageville Road at Norris Road.  Deputies responded but did not find any subjects there at that time but found where walnut trees were cut down and branches were still in the roadway.

On Feb. 25, Major Scott Trussell received a call that the stolen walnut logs were on a trailer at a residence on Pageville Road.  Trussell responded and located the stolen logs at that residence and after talking to the resident and others at that location, received information as to the identities of the suspects who had cut the trees down the day before.  One suspect was located and interviewed concerning the thefts.  The suspects had been selling the logs to a local timber yard. According to the statement, the case is still on-going as there are more property owners who have filed theft reports of stolen walnut, red oak, poplar, and red maple trees being cut down on Pageville Road.  

Sheriff Wood asks that if any residents have any information concerning these thefts to contact Major Trussell at the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Wood also reports that recently, the Athens County Sheriff’s Office took a theft report of a stolen orange Kubota RTV900 side by side from a residence on Chase Road.  On Feb. 26, a call was received from Athens County that the owner of the Kubota had seen a Kubota side by side sitting in the yard at a residence on Pageville Road that matched the type that had been stolen.  Major Trussell responded to 36744 Pageville Road at the camper of Jake Older where he located a Kubota RTV900 that had been spray painted black.  Major Trussell confirmed the Serial number on the vehicle and found it to be the stolen Kubota from Athens County.  Athens County was contacted and sent detectives to the scene as well as the owner of the Kubota. Sheriff Wood and Deputy Martin were also on the scene.

Major Trussell received information from two individuals who lived next door as to who lived in the camper where the Kubota was located, who was not at home at the time.  Charges will be filed on Jake Older, 32, for Receiving Stolen Property.

All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.