A summons to appear in Greene Superior Court has been issued for a Bloomington man on preliminary charges of misdemeanor theft and felony fishing, hunting, trapping or chasing without landowner consent.

Darrell Wayne Dalton has been issued a summons to appear in Greene Superior Court on Oct. 24 following an incident that took place in the evening hours of Sept. 8 near East Branch Kelly Road.

Indiana Conservation Officer Cole Hollingsworth was investigating another incident regarding theft and fishing, hunting, trapping or chasing without landowner consent when he went to search a vehicle and found Dalton inside.

Dalton and two others had allegedly been digging ginseng on private property without the property owner’s permission. According to a probable cause affidavit, Dalton said he started at a location on North Wilkie School Road, then worked his way east to a creek, then turned around. The property they had permission to be on is a one-acre piece of land with a home in the middle. There is no creek on that property.

When Hollingsworth asked Dalton if he had any ginseng on him, he said he had a couple of roots and agreed to empty his pockets. Hollingsworth noted in the probable cause affidavit he noticed immediately that at least one root was an illegal root as it did not have four internodes. Dalton pointed out a green bag in the vehicle that belonged to him. He said the bag included a little more ginseng.

Hollingsworth pulled up “OnX Property Maps” and showed Dalton property lines. Dalton confirmed he was in fact on private property by showing Hollingsworth where he had been near the creek.

Hollingsworth issued Dalton a summons to appear in Greene Superior Court and seized his ginseng and digging tool. When he appears in court, he will be formally charged with theft, a Class A Misdemeanor and fishing, hunting, trapping or chasing without landowner consent, a Level C Felony.