4 local men indicted in timber fraud case

Roger Carthern, 63, Andrew Carthen, 40, both of Jefferson; J. David Carthern, 64, Commerce, and Robert F. Ferguson Jr., 56, Maysville, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The men are charged with acts that took place between 2004 and 2006 where another man at the Temple Inland plant in Rome manipulated the scale computer and created “phantom” deliveries. The men were paid by Temple Inland for deliveries they didn’t make, then shared the money with the scale operater in Rome, according to federal authorities.

R. Carthern and A. Carthern allegedly got $313,000 from the scheme and $112,000 was reportedly paid by Temple to D. Carthern and R. Ferguson.

This case is being investigated by special agents of the FBI.