Crime & Safety
Olympic National Park Tree Thief Gets Jail Time
A federal judge ruled on the case of a man who cut down and sold a maple tree that was on national park property.
TACOMA, WA - A man who cut down a maple tree at Olympic National Park in 2013 was sentenced in a U.S. District Court in Tacoma Friday, according to an Associated Press report. Michael Welches, 63, pleaded guilty to charges of depredation of government property. He will spend 30 days in jail.
The charges stem from a 2013 incident when a neighbor reported to the National Park Service that a chainsaw was being used near their property in the middle of the night. Welches and two other men were allegedly cutting down the tree.
The timber, part of which was sold, would be used to make instruments. The wood's total value is estimated at $9,000, the AP reported.
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Image via National Park Service
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