Wise, Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Taking Ginseng from National Forest

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Wise man, who illegally removed Ginseng plants from the National Forest, pled guilty yesterday in the United States District Court, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

Mark Evan Buchanan, 47, of Wise, Va., pled guilty yesterday to one count of attempting to transport, sell, receive or acquire plants in interstate commerce knowing that said plants were taken in an unlawful manner. Buchanan will be sentenced on May 25 at 10:30 a.m.

According to evidence presented in court by Special Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Carnell, Buchanan possessed 246 wild Ginseng roots from the George Washington and Jefferson National Forrest knowing that it was illegal to take, possess, acquire and transport wild Ginseng from the National Forest.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the U.S. Forest Service. Assistant United States Attorney Special Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Carnell prosecuted the case for the United States.