I have been working for Ted Kimble at Lyles Building Material for two years.  For the past several months before Ted was arrested I was asked on several occasions to alter lumber, 2"x4", 2"x6" and 2"x8". 

SIGNED:  James Ogburn    DATE:  May 31  TIME:  12:45

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By altering the lumber I mean Ted had me cut 16' lumber down into two eight foot pieces or cut a twelve foot piece down into a eight and four foot piece.  After the lumber was cut down Ted would spray paint the ends that were cut.  Ted told me that he painted the ends because if the police came they could identify the lumber by color code and determine where it came from.  Ted sent me to buy royal blue paint to change the color on the ends of the lumber that had a color code on them.  Ted also asked me to take the bar codes off the ends of 2"x8"'s and some 4x4's and 2x4's.  He asked me to do this so they couldn't be identified.  Ted also asked me to pull the stickers off doors and windows and take a magic marker and make or change the numbers on doors and windows.

There was several times that Ted, Rob Nichols and Patrick Pardee would be in the building or the back of the business lot taking off or altering lumber and doors and windows while Ted had me up front working on waiting on customers.  If the customer bought something I would have to go to the back

/James Ogburn/

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and get Ted to take the money.  Ted told me he didn't want me working in the office and working with money because the police would think he was creating an alibi for him, for Ted in his wifes death.  Rob Nichols told me that Ted, Patrick and himself was stealing some of the lumber from construction sites.  Patrick never talked to me much but he was around Lyles Building Material very often.

Before the stolen lumber started showing up there wasn't much stock kept on hand in the business.  I remember thinking that I didn't see how the place was staying in business. 

I also wondered about Ted going and getting a second job for $6.00 a hour.  I told him that he should put more effort in his business.  Ted had asked me how he could make some more money at the business and we came up with the idea of building storage buildings.  The guy down the street was building buildings and we started building more buildings and better buildings than Ted had previously built.  We first started building the building from scrap and second grade lumber.

/James Ogburn/

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But for the past six months or so before Ted was arrested we had better lumber to work with.  During this time is when I learned that a lot of the lumber and building material was stolen because Ted asked me to alter it so the police would not be able to identify the material.

I had nothing to do with stealing any of the material.  My only participation was to alter the material at the direction of my employer, Ted Kimble.  I never asked where the material came from and Ted would often say, "You don't need to know where it came from.", "It was here when we got here this morning."  I was only going to work and doing my job as my employer told me and make a living.  I didn't steal anything, but I realize altering the material was wrong but I was just working for the man.  I now wish that when I found out they were stealing the material that I had come to you and told you.  I am willing to cooperate and help in anyway I can to resolve this matter and I'm sure I will be looking for another job real soon.

/James Ogburn/

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