Des Moines Man Charged with Theft of Walnut Trees

A grey squirrel chews on a walnut high in the branches of a walnut tree on Lucas Street in Iowa City.

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By Liz Blood

Story Created: Sep 7, 2012 at 5:46 PM CDT

Story Updated: Sep 7, 2012 at 5:52 PM CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines man is charged with stealing nearly $40,000 worth of walnut trees from federal property.

The U.S. attorney's office says 49-year-old Randall Walker is charged with five counts of theft.

He's suspected of taking trees from three properties owned by the Army Corps of Engineers, including Saylorville Lake near Des Moines and Lake Red Rock in southern Iowa, and from the Neal Smith National Wildlife Reserve, east of Des Moines. Prosecutors say the thefts occurred between January and April.

Walker is also charged with stealing scrap metal from the corps' property at Lake Red Rock.

During an initial court appearance, Walker was ordered held pending trial, set for Oct. 29 in Des Moines.

Walker is represented by the federal public defender's office, which had no comment.