A sentence was finally given for the 2004 theft of 27 old growth cedars from national forest land near Lake Wenatchee. For stealing the trees — aged 400 to 600 years — Kevin John Moran, 49, of Camano Island was sentenced to a year and a day in federal jail and a fine of $37,688.
Moran, who entered a guilty plea in November, will have three years of supervised probation after his sentence is served. The trees were taken to mills in Western Washington.
Forest Service Special Agent in Charge Tom Lyons tried to capture what has been lost:
“These trees simply cannot be replaced in our lifetime. Mr. Moran took a portion of the last remaining stand of old growth cedar trees in the lower White River drainage.”
Despite that, Judge Fred Van Sickle of the Spokane District Court, let Moran off pretty easily. Theft of government property — such as gigantic, irreplaceable cedars — is a Class C felony, which means a maximum sentence of 10 years or less, and a fine not to exceed $250,000. In this case the fine was comparable with the estimated market value of the trees.
The logging was reported by a concerned citizen a year after the theft occurred. Moran was identified because he had a vehicle on the property and also owned nearby land.