2 year sentence for Washington old-growth timber theft

A 48-year-old Aberdeen man was sentenced today to two years in prison for cutting down and selling old-growth cedar trees from the Olympic National Forest.

Craig James was one of several men indicted in a conspiracy that state and federal agencies say involved some trees that were nearly 600 years old. A total of 31 trees were stolen, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tacoma.

Court records show that James and several others were involved in a conspiracy to steal the trees — most of which were considered "music wood" and prized for use in guitars and other instruments. Most of the wood was cut down and removed in early 2006.

The trees were taken from one of the last-known stands of old grown western red cedar in Southwestern Washington, according to a news release.

"The true value of these resources cannot be measured by board-feet or the number of cedar shingles to be harvested from each tree," wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney James Oesterle in a sentencing memorandum. He likened the loss to "losing a national antiquity, or a cultural heritage resource."

U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton chastised James, saying "It wouldn't occur to any of us to cut a tree of that size." James, he said, "knew better" but did it anyway.

Leighton scheduled a hearing May 12 to determine the amount of restitution James and his three co-defendants owe for the thefts.

Four others have already been sentenced in connection with the conspiracy.

• Bruce Brown, 47, of Humptulips, five months in prison;

• Floyd Stutesman, 48, of Hoquiam, four months of home detention and two years of probation;

• James Osborn, 46, of Humptulips, two months probation;

• Willie McKown, 31, of Hoquiam, 30 days in jail.

One of the lead investigators in the case was U.S. Forest Service Officer Kristine Fairbanks, who was shot and killed Sept. 20 near Sequim while investigating a suspicious vehicle. The killer, Shawn Matthew Roe, 36, of Everett, killed another man before being fatally shot by two Clallam County sheriff's deputies.

Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com