The U.S. Department of Justice is ordering Utah-based Young Living Essential Oils to pay $760,000 for illegally trafficking tree oil from South America.
Between 2010 and 2014, several Young Living employees and contractors harvested, transported and distilled about 86 tons of protected Brazilian rosewood from Peru, prohibited by Peruvian law.
That’s according to a release from the Department of Justice this week detailing a plea agreement with the Lehi-based multi-level marketing firm.
Young Living also illegally exported spikenard oil harvested in Nepal to the United Kingdom without a permit in December 2015.
In a statement, Young Living said they became aware of the situation in late 2014 and hired outside counsel to conduct an internal investigation. They later turned the information over to federal authorities in July 2015.
The company apologized and said they had instituted a new government-approved compliance program to ensure they acquire plant products from legal sources.
