Virginia man jailed after illegally harvesting medicinal plant from national park

MIDDLESBORO, Ky. – A Virginia man was given a hefty fine and jail time after he stole medicinal stress-relief plants from Kentucky’s Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.Cody Brummett recently pleaded guilty to unlawfully digging over 300 ginseng plants within the national park’s boundaries, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that ginseng root harvesting is illegal on all National Park Service land and most state lands. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK GEARS UP FOR SUMMER SEASON BY OPENING ENTRANCESAs a result, Brummett was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay $6,240.25 in restitution to the National Park Service. “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,” acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said in a press release.