KC Reporter

A West Plains man, Justin Lee Massey, has been sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison without parole for illegally harvesting and stealing trees from Mark Twain National Forest. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark. Massey was also ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service and forfeit $30,000, representing the proceeds of his theft.

Massey pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property after admitting to illegally cutting down at least 10 trees in Mark Twain National Forest between December 2020 and January 2021. The trees were then taken to a local sawmill and sold, resulting in a total restitution amount of $30,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service.