LANSING — The owner of two Michigan timber harvesting companies – Great Lakes Forest Products and Northern Timber Producers Inc. – was arraigned Wednesday on eight felony counts of embezzlement after lying to landowners about the amount of timber he took from their properties to avoid paying them the full value owed.

Norman Kasubowski, 53, of Petoskey, was arrested by the Michigan State Police early Wednesday morning and charged with eight counts of embezzlement by an agent of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000. Each charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine or three times the amount embezzled, whichever is greater.

He was arraigned before Judge Michael Cooper in 87-A District Court in Gaylord, Otsego County