FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2006
(Columbia, SC) A Whitmire timber cutter has been arrested for the second time in two months. Forestry Commission agents charged Berlie Dawkins, 63, with illegally cutting more than $2500 worth of timber.
Agents said Dawkins was cutting timber for a Union County landowner in 2004 when he crossed the property line and harvested numerous trees on an adjacent tract. When confronted, Dawkins told agents he didn’t remember the incident.
Dawkins was booked into the Union County Detention Center and was later released on bond. If convicted, he could be facing up to five years in prison.
Dawkins was arrested in July for a similar offense. That case is now pending trial.
Timber theft and timber fraud is a significant problem in South Carolina. To report timber transaction crime, contact Forestry Commission law enforcement at 803-896-8820.
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THIS RELEASE REPORTS AN ARREST. ALL SUBJECTS ARE CONSIDERED INNOCENT UNLESS PROVEN OTHERWISE IN A COURT OF LAW.