LEXINGTON, Ky. – An Irvine man has pleaded guilty to cutting and removing timber from the Daniel Boone National Forest and was ordered to pay $4,990.13 in restitution, according to federal court records. Autumn F. Reed admitted to harvesting trees at two sites along Little Ross Creek Road in Estill and Lee counties; a U.S. magistrate judge entered judgment on June 26 in Lexington.
Reed pleaded guilty to two petty offenses—cutting/damaging trees and removing timber—after investigators said he used a vehicle to drag logs out from an area off a designated road, tearing up vegetation and soil in the process. The court also imposed a $20 special assessment and set a payment plan of $208 per month for 24 months. Restitution is payable to the U.S. Forest Service.
In a statement of probable cause filed Tuesday with the court, a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer said Reed acknowledged cutting and hauling “high-value” timber from the two sites and selling it to Roundtree Corporation, a log buyer in Irvine. The officer said records from the buyer corroborated the sales. A damage assessment found 16 trees were cut or harmed and about 7,968 square feet of ground—roughly the size of a baseball infield—was disturbed. Using a standard “triple stumpage” method plus personnel costs, officials calculated the government’s loss at $4,990.13.
The offenses were listed as ending May 13, 2025, according to the judgment. The case lists the Eastern District of Kentucky as the venue and identifies the U.S. Forest Service as the restitution payee. A summary sheet attached to the judgment notes the case involved theft of government property—white oak trees—on the Forest’s London Ranger District.
Court records indicate Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield handled the matter, which was resolved as a petty offense case in magistrate court. Reed’s guilty finding and restitution order were entered June 26 in Lexington.
Key details from the records
- Who: Autumn F. Reed, of Irvine, Kentucky.
- What: Guilty to cutting/damaging trees and removing timber on federal land; ordered to pay $4,990.13 restitution, $20 assessment; $208/month payment plan for 24 months.
- Where: Daniel Boone National Forest, Little Ross Creek Road area, Estill and Lee counties (London Ranger District).
- How investigators say it happened: Logs dragged out with a vehicle from off-road, damaging vegetation; timber sold to a local buyer with ticket records provided.
- Scope of damage: 16 trees cut or damaged; ~7,968 sq. ft. of ground disturbed.
The Forest Service says off-road removal can scar hillsides, compact soil and destroy undergrowth that protects streams—damage that can far exceed the value of the wood. In this case, officials said the restitution reflects both lost timber value and the cost of assessing the harm.