Two people are facing first-degree theft charges for allegedly stealing over $5,000 worth of timber from a Winlock-area property in August.
The property owners reported finding “a number of trees cut down,” including a large maple tree, on their property near Winlock on Aug. 22, 2023, according to court documents.
The property owners reportedly “arrived at the property after seeing the gate open” and saw Luckie Wideman, 55, and Ross Charles Lawrence, 38, both of Winlock, “loading the cut maple wood into a trailer,” according to court documents.
Lawrence then reportedly got into a black vehicle and drove up the hill.
A responding Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded and located the vehicle, which is registered to Lawrence, parked nearby.
When questioned by one of the property owners, Wideman reportedly said the owner of a different property “gave him permission to cut along the easement road.”
The reporting party told a responding deputy “that Luckie’s story didn’t make sense because there was no easement” between the two properties.
The other property owner reportedly told a deputy “he was very clear with Wideman that he could have trees already downed on the property, but he wasn’t supposed to cut standing trees, and he was not to cut trees on (the other) property,” according to court documents.
A deputy later found Wideman’s vehicle and a “homemade black trailer” with cut timber inside.
The cut timber in the trailer was valued at approximately $5,250, according to court documents.
Wideman and Lawrence were each charged Feb. 26 with one count of first-degree theft. The court issued summons notices that same day advising them to appear at a preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on March 6.
Both men were participating in Lewis County Drug Court for unrelated charges at the time of that preliminary hearing and were unable to attend due to ongoing inpatient treatment.
Preliminary hearings will be rescheduled after the men complete their respective treatment programs.
