FROM INDIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING

The Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to help locate a man accused of stealing a vehicle and harvesting ginseng illegally.

In a statement, the D-N-R says investigators searched the residence of 48-year-old Spencer man Larry W. Tussey Junior on July 1st. It says officers found what appeared to be numerous recently harvested ginseng roots through the allegedly stolen vehicle’s window. The statement says officers seized the vehicle and ginseng roots.

Officers also discovered three live, wild raccoons in the vehicle. They took the raccoons to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

In Indiana, it’s a Class A misdemeanor to harvest wild ginseng out of season. The season starts in September and runs through the end of the year.

Ginseng has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes, including immune support. Raw ginseng is sold for hundreds of dollars a pound.