Two Spencer residents were arrested Sept. 9 and appeared in Greene Superior Court for initial hearings Sept. 22 on charges of theft and fishing, hunting, trapping or chasing without landowner consent after allegedly illegally digging ginseng without land owner’s permission.

Indiana Conservation Officer Cole Hollingsworth was contacted by a retired conservation officer with a tip regarding possible illegal ginseng hunters on a East Kelly Branch Road property around 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8. The retired officer had located two trespassers — later identified as Shannon Gregory Wood, 47, and Sherri Lynn McGraw, 46 — who had hidden backpacks on a property they did not have permission to be on. He looked in the backpacks and found ginseng as well as ginseng digging tools. He told Hollingsworth he photographed the original location of the backpacks, but moved them a little further into the woods so the trespassers would have to look a little harder to find them, providing officers more time to contact them.

When Hollingsworth arrived on the scene, he too looked in the bags as they were considered abandoned on private property. Inside a gray backpack, items located included: several rocks, a metal digging tool with maroon plastic handle, a cell phone, and ginseng root. In a black backpack, a large pickaxe digging tool with a green handle, rocks, knives, and other miscellaneous trash was located. Identification was not found in either backpack.

At approximately 10:16 p.m., a van stopped where a stick had been placed near the roadway, indicating the location of the hidden backpacks. Hollingsworth observed a female subject exit the van and enter the woods and go directly to the spot where the backpacks were originally hidden.

When Hollingsworth made his way to the roadway, McGraw came out of the woods toward the van. Hollingsworth turned on a flashlight, identified himself, and asked Wood to turn off the vehicle. Hollingsworth asked Wood and McGraw if they were looking for a couple of bags with ginseng in them; however, neither answered. Hollingsworth again asked and McGraw replied, “We were trying to get some money up for our court cost.” Hollingsworth asked what the court was related to and McGraw replied, “Ginseng.” When asked where they were from, they told Hollingsworth they were from Owen County but were digging on a friend’s property with permission although they could not remember the friend’s last name.

Wood informed Hollingsworth they started at a location on North Wilkie School Road, then worked their way east and followed a creek to where the bags were located. The property they had permission to be on is a one acre piece of land with a home in the middle. It was determined they did not have permission to be on the property where their bags were located.

Wood was transported to Greene County Jail where his bond was set at $1500 surety with 10% cash allowed. He was later released after posting $150.

He has been charged with: theft, a Class A Misdemeanor and Fishing, Hunting, Trapping or Chasing Without Landowner Consent, a Level C Felony.

McGraw was transported to Greene County Jail where her bond was set at $1500 surety with 10% cash allowed. He was later released after posting $150.

She has been charged with: theft, a Class A Misdemeanor and Fishing, Hunting, Trapping or Chasing Without Landowner Consent, a Level C Felony.