Jim Gale, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region, announced today that on July 6, 2007, Charles Allen (London), Clay Gibson (Manchester), Jerry Gray (Flat Lick), Larry Hensley (Flat Lick), Kenzie Ison (Slemp), Tony Ison (Viper), and Colson Napier (Pineville) were each sentenced in United States District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, in London for engaging in the interstate commerce of unlawfully purchased wild ginseng, in violation of the Lacey Act.
For their respective roles in dealing with illegally harvested and/or purchased wild ginseng, the ginseng dealers were sentenced to pay the following fines: Charles Allen - $10,000, Clay Gibson - $2,500, Jerry Gray - $5,000, Larry Hensley - $8,000, Kenzie Ison - $15,000, Tony Ison - $10,000, Colson Napier - $6,000 and all were sentenced to between 12 and 18 months probation.