Man ordered to pay over $6,000 and serve jail time after illegally digging hundreds of ginseng roots from protected national park
Abingdon, Virginia – A man has been sentenced to 30 days in federal custody after pleading guilty to unlawfully digging ginseng inside Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Hall and investigated by the National Park Service, concluded that the individual, Coby Brummett, removed more than 300 ginseng roots from protected park land. Ginseng, a valuable plant prized for its medicinal properties, is federally protected within national parks.
Officials emphasized the importance of preserving these natural resources for the benefit of all citizens.
“Our national parks and the resources within, like Ginseng, are natural resources maintained for the benefit of all our citizens and not forms of currency to be poached and sold-off for profit,” said Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee. “One of our core missions is to protect the resources and natural wonders that are found in abundance on the national park lands found in the Western District of Virginia and enjoyed by millions of visitors every year. This case is a warning to those who may try to use these resources for their own benefit. I am grateful to the National Park Service for their diligence in keeping our national parks vibrant and safe.”
Superintendent Lisa Baldwin of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park echoed those sentiments.
“Preserving natural and cultural resources like these on behalf of current and future generations of Americans is a central part of our mission,” Baldwin stated. “We are proud of the work of our staff and partners that led to this outcome.”
In addition to his 30-day sentence, Brummett was ordered to pay $6,240.25 in restitution to the National Park Service and has been banned from entering the park for a period of three years.
