Clayton Timber Company Owner Charged in Multi-County Timber Theft Investigation

CLAYTON, N.C. — The owner of a Clayton timber company has been arrested following a lengthy investigation into alleged timber thefts and fraud involving multiple property owners in five North Carolina counties.

Joel Blake Lee, 55, of Peele Road, Clayton, owner and operator of Frontier Timber, Inc., was arrested Wednesday by law enforcement officers with the North Carolina Forest Service.

Lee is charged with four felony counts of larceny of timber, three felony counts of larceny of property, one felony count of conspiracy, three felony counts of exploitation of an older or disabled adult, five misdemeanor counts involving wood load tickets, three felony counts of forgery of deeds or wills, and seven felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses.

According to the North Carolina Forest Service, the charges are the result of a lengthy investigation into alleged crimes involving multiple victims in Chatham, Columbus, Onslow, Pender and Wayne counties.

Court records allege Lee used several different schemes to unlawfully obtain timber or timber proceeds, including harvesting timber without paying landowners, forging timber sale agreements, and, in some cases, allegedly obtaining signatures on documents represented as free timber evaluations that investigators say were later used as timber contracts.

The warrants detail several alleged incidents. Some of the incidents include:

In one Columbus County case, investigators allege Lee harvested 9 acres of timber valued at $7,546.59 without paying the property owner. He is charged with felony larceny and obtaining property by false pretenses in that case.

In a second Columbus County case, authorities allege Lee harvested 26 acres of timber and failed to pay the landowner $22,379.54 after removing the timber.

A third Columbus County warrant alleges Lee unlawfully obtained $12,732.21 in timber proceeds after harvesting timber without the owners’ consent. Prosecutors also allege he forged a timber deed and conspired with another individual to harvest approximately 10 acres of timber.

In Onslow County, investigators allege Lee failed to pay $5,596.02 owed to an elderly landowner after harvesting timber. Authorities further allege he falsely represented paperwork as a free timber evaluation when it was allegedly used as a timber purchase agreement without discussing timber prices. He is charged with exploitation of an older adult, forgery, larceny of timber, and obtaining property by false pretenses.

In Pender County, investigators allege Lee failed to pay another elderly landowner $10,948.44 after purchasing timber and used the same alleged tactic of presenting a timber contract as a free timber evaluation form. He also faces charges of exploiting an older adult in that case.

In Wayne County, authorities allege Lee harvested hardwood timber that was not authorized under a timber contract and failed to pay the landowner $4,361.30 for the timber removed.

Altogether, alleged losses total approximately $85,000. Under North Carolina law, if convicted, Lee could be ordered to pay the timber owners restitution equal to three times the value of the timber that was cut, damaged or removed.

The General Assembly gave the N.C. Forest Service authority in December 2021 to investigate and enforce the state’s timber theft laws. Officials said the investigation demonstrates the agency’s commitment to protecting North Carolina’s forest resources.

The North Carolina Forest Service is asking anyone who believes they may have been the victim of timber theft to contact their local county ranger.