Department of Agriculture and Forestry, State of Louisiana - Mike Strain DVM, Commissioner

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said forestry enforcement investigators arrested an East Feliciana Parish man May 28 for failing to remit payments to landowners for harvested timber.

LDAF investigators and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested Lloyd R. Triche IV, 4509 Old Liberty Road, Clinton, as he was cutting timber south of Livingston.  

Strain said LDAF forestry enforcement investigators received the initial complaint from a Livingston Parish landowner that led to a LDAF investigation in October 2009. Three additional complaints from three separate landowners were filed against Triche while the original complaint was still under investigation.  

Forestry Enforcement Investigator Roy St. Pierre said Triche entered into both written and verbal agreements to cut timber for four different landowners between October 2009 and April 2010.

“Our investigation revealed Triche failed to pay the landowners for some or, in most cases, all of the timber he was contracted to cut,” St. Pierre said.

Strain said state law requires loggers to compensate the landowners within 30 days of receiving payment for their timber.

In one situation, St. Pierre said Triche was contracted to harvest an eight and one-half acre tract of pine timber near French Settlement valued at more than $14,000. Triche allegedly only cut half of the tract and failed to pay the owner for the timber harvested.  

On another occasion, Triche logged a tract near Walker where he cut and hauled 10 loads of timber from the landowner’s property. However, Triche allegedly only compensated the landowner for the first five loads of pine timber and pocketed the proceeds from the remaining five loads.

St. Pierre said two other complaints filed against Triche stated that he was contracted to cut timber on property and in both cases, Triche completed each job but allegedly failed to remit payment to the landowners.

Strain said the investigation alleges more than 34 loads of timber valued at $21,349.07 was not paid to the four landowners.

“LDAF forestry investigators take forestry related crimes very seriously and they will vigorously investigate any reports of theft,” Strain said. “I advise anyone who believes they may be victim of timber theft to immediately report a suspected crime.

To report a timber theft, call the Baton Rouge LDAF headquarters at 225-925-4500.

-30-