Iowa men charged for stealing $7,500 worth of walnut trees from state forest

Molly Longman | The Des Moines Register

Two men were cut down to size after being charged with illegally chopping down walnut trees and stealing them from an Iowa state park, according to a press release.

Bradley Lynn Hagerman, 38, of Pisgah and Eric Robert Freihage, 30, of Council Bluffs are accused of cutting down and selling walnut trees in Loess Hills State Forest in January, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Bureau.

The men admitted to transporting and selling nine of the deciduous trees between Jan. 24 and Jan. 30.

They sold the trees to Midwest Walnut in Council Bluffs and received $4,713 in compensation. The nine Walnut trees had an appraised value of over $7,500, the release states.

The forest is located in Harrison and Monona Counties, about 45 minutes north of Council Bluffs.

The men were charged on May 25 and have each been charged with second degree theft, timber buyer bond accounting violations, and timber buyer violations.