Wood preservers sentenced in counterfeit gradestamp case

ln ULMINATING over three V years of investigation and legal work, Judge Charles Simpson sentenced Vince Escue, Harvel Escue, Alvin Escue and the Escue Wood Preserving Co. (EWP) on a charge of trademark infringement on July 7, 1989, in Louisville, Ky.

All four defendants (three individuals and the corporation) had earlier pleaded guilty to one felony count of trademark infringement based on their misuse of a Timber Products Inspection, Inc. (TP) gradestamp, according to C. Cleve Gambill, the First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.

The three individual defendants were sentenced to probation for a period of -three years. As a special condition of probation, they are required to actually serve 90 days in a federal facility. In addition, all four defendants were required to forfeit $25,000 (a total of $100,000) to the United States through the U.S. Attorney's Office Asset Forfeiture Fund.

Story at a Glance

Kentucky wood Preserving company officials jailed for mis' using gradestamps... thousands of feet of lumber with counterfeit marks sold...

Timber Products Inspection, Inc. of Conyers, Ga., and Portland, Or., reportedly is the third largest U.S. agency approved by the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) to gradestamp lumber and to provide gradestamping supervisory services to manufacturers. According to Lon J. Sibert, vice president of the Lumber Division for Timber Products, they were informed of a strange stamp in Illinois in May, 1986. An intensive field investigation in that state, as well as Indiana and Kentucky, culminated with the discovery of incriminating evidence of EWP's involvement in

Timber Products Inspection's role in the case. 39l.ill]iiti]|*i]]i{|''|1]:]],]i||l]i]k]:|:]]ll..j]]]i:],.]1!!]'.l.isdg?i*r:j&ls':i::3**€!.t.i*s!]'i1#s,d]:F]*

Nutional Luntber plans to open a 60,000 sq. fl. store in N{issionDouglas Plaza, 0ceanside, Ca.. this month . . flomc Depot. Occanside, ('a.. is ldding 20-000 sq. [t. to ir.s store

Lumher ()tr', Valencia, Ca., remodeled. aclding a 2,000 sq. li. kitchen and bath iclea roonr. a 1.200 sq. ft. window and door showroonr and expanding the lumber and bldg. materials dept. by 8,000 sq. ft. .

Wcstern Lutnber C'o,, San [)iego, Ca., completed a $2.4 nrillion sale and I5 year leaseback of its El Cajon, Ca., retail center and sold its Solana Beach, ( u." locltion. moving the contractor sales portion into a nearby lunrber storage bldg.

7-1rc L{ont<, Center opened in Grass Valley, Ca., housing TruLint, IJuildars, Sat'rantento Tile, Agate Snle.s, .4t'r'ertt [-i.qhtins, Sierra Tirnberlint', Gos.s 14'tndov,s & Glass Ittt'" and Y'ottng's lntcrictrs

Ace Hardv'arc signecl to be the anchor store in Sierra Meaclows Plaza, Rocklin, Ca.. . Anrcric'urt Building Ccnter, Los Alamitcls. Ca., has closed, selling its inventory to Barr Luntber Co., Los Alamitos: ABC's facility is now being leased by a landscaping frrm...

Pttt'kwood Harclv'are. Packwood, Wa., completed its third expansion in three years with a new building . Yardbirds wants t0 open a 22.495 sq. ft. store in a home improvement center being considered for development in Hairfield,Ca....

('rlv,n Harclvtare opened its seventh Orange County store in El Toro. Ca. . lVorthN,est Lumber's Caslt & Carry Dru. expanded with a new 1.5 acre location in Lebanon.Or.... lJ,th l'ilu. fired host oI tv's ''This ()ld llouse." has signed a multi-million dollar deal with Sr:aru, Roebut'k ct Co. to star in their new d-i-y tv show debuting next June.

Del Matthews acquired Ilarp(r'.\ Building Cttrtir. Prosscr, Wa., from Ron and Pauli Harper, renaming it I{onetott'n TrLrc Value Hardware & Luntber... Ilayward Luntber Co., Carmel. ('a.. closed after losing irs propertylease...

Honre Depot will anchor a 121.000 sq. ft. shopping cenrer planned in Carmel Mountain Rrrnch.C'rr....

The 123 year old Antioch Lumber Co., Antioch, Ca., lost a storage area to fire a Seattle, Wa., fireman was killed in a fouralarm fire at the vacant Blacksrot'k Lumber building. two arson suspects were arrested in conneclion with the seconcl fire in a week at the vacant Truck Citt' Lunrbar, Phoenix. Az.

Rohert S. Asgood, Inc., the 47 year old Los Angeles, Ca., importer, has ceased trading; Dennis Snow. pres./ceo, will be winding down lhe company in a voluntary liquidation fbr parent corp. Ma.yer Internotiortol over lhe next few monlhs .

Pope & Talbot, lnr'., Port Gamble. Wa., is producing dimension lumber for Australian markets Brazier Forest lndustries. lnc. has new corporate headquarters in Columbia Center. Seattle. Wa....

Univarsal Forast Prttdutts through its {Jniversal/Far llest

The Merchant Magazine

Div. is buying Willamette lnclustrir:s' industrial division. Woodburn, Or.. (sce p.2l [or story)

Weyerlruauser ('o. will close its Albuquerque, N.M., I-Beam plant if it is not sold by Dec. 7 McEy".en Luntber C'o. has moved to Tualatin. Or.

Goldenberg Plyw.ood & Lumbcr (P6, Gem Industries Inc.), will open a Lynwood, Ca., distribution center with Allied Plynood, Los Angeles, Ca., another P/y Gt,risubsidiary...

Columbia River Hardwootls lrc'.. movecl to new offices in Vancouver. Wa. . . Carol G. Mayeda opened Ma-veda Luntber Co., lnc. in City of Industry, Ca. . Phillips Plywood Co,, lnc. moved to Pacoima, Ca.

Masonile ('orp. Harclhoard Oroup changed its name to Building Produc'ts Group. . WTD Industries,lrrr'.. Portland, Or., is repurchasing $5 million of its debentures due May 1997

Western Timber Products. [nc.Coeur d'Alene. Id., is buying a C.apelantl Lumberbldg. in Weiser, Id....

Brol'lgs Lumber Co., Redding, Ca.. will close Dec. Jl with the relirement of Lee and Brad Broyles

Rill Fisltman's Marketing Servit'es Int'., San Diego, Ca., and Conferon, ln{'., a San Diego, Cleveland, Oh., Schaumburg, Il., firm, are joining to offer a turnkey production of compan.vmeeting and seminars .

President Brslr signed compromise legislation freeing up l.l billion bf of national forest timber while closing other forest areas inhabited by spotted owls tologging...

Housirtg stcrrs for Sept. (latest flgs.) dropped 5.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.26 million, the lowest level in seven years single family starts slow- ed 2.10h. multiples, 2.,2%t building permits fell 2.40/o.

Posts, poles, pilings, timber, crossarms, grapestakes, dimension lumber.

Pacific Wood Preserving of Bakersfield produces virtuallY all pressure treated wood products. And, with comPuterized inventory control, Pacific Wood Preserving of Bakersfield offers accurate and comPlete service. A single phone call can put this complete caPabilitY to work for you. Call todaY:

Steve Ryan, General Manager

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AWPB-FDN STAMPED for Quality Control