Posted By: Lauren

Incident – 04.09.2026

I don’t know if y’all saw this, but this situation in Columbus County is honestly crazy and kind of concerning if you really think about it.

A man out of Evergreen got arrested for allegedly stealing timber off someone’s private property. Like… not just a small situation either—this involves actual logging, trucks, tickets, and multiple charges. It’s being said he owns a logging company too, which makes it even more wild.

What really got me thinking is how easy something like this could go unnoticed for a while. If you own land, especially out in more rural areas, how would you even know someone is cutting and taking your trees unless you’re checking constantly?

And let’s be real, timber is MONEY in North Carolina. People don’t always realize how valuable land and trees really are until something like this happens.

Also, the fact that there may be more charges in another county?? That tells me this might not be a one-time situation.

This whole thing just makes me wonder:

• How common is timber theft really?
• Are landowners doing enough to protect their property?
• And how many people don’t even realize this is happening to them?

I feel like this is one of those issues people don’t talk about enough until it hits close to home. Anyone else heard of situations like this before?

Posted By: Dave

I’m glad you brought this up because people around here have definitely been talking about it. It’s one of those situations where you hear it at first and think “no way,” but then the more details come out, the more real it gets. Like you said, this isn’t somebody grabbing a couple of trees, it sounds organized, with trucks and paperwork involved, which makes it feel a whole lot bigger.

What really has folks side-eyeing everything is the fact that it’s tied to someone who actually runs a logging business. You’d think somebody in that position would know exactly what they can and can’t touch. That’s what makes it feel off and honestly a little concerning for anybody with land out here in Columbus County.

And you’re right, most people aren’t walking their property every day, especially if it’s a lot of acreage. Somebody could come in, do what they’re doing, and you might not notice until it’s too late. Now people are probably going to start checking their land a little more closely. It just makes you wonder how often stuff like this actually happens and doesn’t get caught.