ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Billy Joe Hurley, a 46-year-old man from Bryson City, North Carolina, has been sentenced to five months and fifteen days in jail for the illegal possession and harvesting of American ginseng from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
According to U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins, Hurley’s crime poses a serious danger to a plant that is part of the nation’s heritage. Tompkins stated that her office will continue to work closely with National Park Service Rangers to prosecute poachers who profit from the illegal harvesting and sale of this endangered national resource.
The sentencing comes after Hurley pleaded guilty to the poaching charge, which marked his fourth such conviction. On June 28, 2014, Hurley admitted to illegally possessing 83 American ginseng roots he had dug from areas in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
A National Park Service botanist testified that the American ginseng species is under severe pressure from poachers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and may not be sustainable if it continues to be harvested illegally. A special agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also testified that financial gain is likely to continue to drive poachers, with fresh ginseng selling for up to $200 per pound on the black market.
In a separate case, Christopher Ian Jacobson, a 31-year-old man from Cosby, Tennessee, was sentenced to 80 days in prison and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for the illegal possession of 298 roots of ginseng. Jacobson pleaded guilty to the charge on August 6, 2014.
American ginseng is a native plant in the Smoky Mountains and is highly prized for its medicinal and health benefits. The plant was recently placed in North Carolina’s Watch Category 5B, which includes species that are in commercial demand and are often collected and sold in high volume.
Law enforcement rangers seize between 500 and 1,000 illegally poached ginseng roots every year, with park biologists marking and replanting over 15,000 roots seized by law enforcement over the years.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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