Timber Theft Suspect Convicted in Bledsoe County

A Pikeville man has pleaded guilty to stealing timber from Bledsoe State Forest. In June, Agricultural Crime Unit (ACU) Special Agents with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture charged John T. Simmons with timber theft after Simmons was seen loading logs onto a trailer along a forest road. After a grand jury indictment, he pleaded guilty to all charges, including theft of property, criminal trespass, and vandalism. Simmons will serve one year probation and must pay back the value of the logs and the costs of retrieving the stolen timber.