A 72-year-old Westfield man faces a felony count of theft of government property for allegedly cutting timber on an easement he sold to the government.

Arthur Polk faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.

That's after Polk received more than $200,000 from the government for the easement that's part of an ambitious program to preserve "Duffy's Marsh" in Marquette County.

Duffy's Marsh is the second largest wetland restoration in the state, and one of the largest in the nation consisting of more than 1,700 acres of diverse wetland habitat.

A federal assistant prosecutor says the indictment against Polk is one of the first of its kind in the country.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)