Man to pay $30,000 for taking timber from national forest

OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) – A Ripley man was sentenced in federal court for taking timber from a national forest.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of Mississippi reports that 51-year-old Kelly Holliday was sentenced following his conviction for taking white oak timber from Holly Springs National Forest in Tippah County.

The wood was taken into Tennessee for processing, where agents found tree samples at the mill.

A judge sentenced Holliday, who is required to make more than $30,000 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service.

The portion of the forest where the trees were taken was found to be a hazard for guests due to trees being left snagged.