After his timber-buying license was suspended by the State of Indiana, 40 year-old Cheyenne Allen of Saylersville, Kentucky began negotiating with a landowner to buy land in Cass County, Indiana. In 2011, Allen signed a contract to purchase about 20 acres of woodland near U.S. 24 north of 50 South that is owned by William Million of California. Allen made an initial down payment of $500 but never completed the purchase. During that time, Allen had a stand of valuable walnut trees logged from the land and sold it for over $80,000. Million had no knowledge that Allen had cleared the land.
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, David Capp, announced that Cheyenne Allen was sentenced for mail fraud. Allen will serve up to 10 months imprisonment, 1 year of supervised release and was ordered to pay over $80,000 in restitution.
The case was prosecuted as a result of an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with assistance from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse M. Barrett.
