Two men have been charged with the felony theft of trees from a state park. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports that the charges were levied May 25 against 38-year-old Bradley Lynn Hagerman of Pisgah and 30-year-old Eric Robert Freihage of Council Bluffs for second-degree theft, class D felonies, timber buyer and bond or accounting violations, all simple misdemeanors. Authorities say the pair admitted to DNR Conservation officers they had transported and sold nine Walnut trees to Midwest Walnut in Council Bluffs between Jan 24 and Jan. 30 of this year. They received compensation of more than $4,700, but the appraised value of the trees tops $7,500. The live trees were harvested from Loess Hills State Forest and a state-owned DNR managed park. Both men turned themselves into authorities and have since bonded out.
