2 weeks Ago
SAN DIEGO, California — Randal Vance, Keir Ceballos-Rivera, and Rebecca Vance have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of employing minors to cultivate and distribute psilocybin mushrooms in Fallbrook and Bonsall. The trio appeared in federal court facing multiple drug-trafficking charges. Randal Vance and Ceballos-Rivera are accused of conspiring to use minors in the production of a controlled substance, while all three defendants face charges of conspiring to distribute a controlled substance and obstructing justice by destroying evidence, according to a press release.
Additionally, Randal Vance is charged with distributing a controlled substance to minors and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Prosecutors revealed that the children involved were 9 and 11 years old when the alleged activities began at locations on Ash Street in Fallbrook and Lilac Road in Bonsall. Psilocybin mushrooms, known for their hallucinogenic properties, are classified as a controlled substance.
During the court hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie E.
Torres ordered Randal and Rebecca Vance to be detained without bond, citing them as flight risks. A detention hearing for Ceballos-Rivera is scheduled for March 25, 2025. The indictment alleges that Randal Vance informed customers and co-conspirators about the minors' involvement in the operation.
On October 18, 2023, Vance reportedly sent a photograph of an 11-year-old holding a large psilocybin mushroom, stating, "11 year old helps me grow them." Further allegations include a minor selling a psilocybin capsule to a friend for $3, with Vance responding, "Nice! Make sure your friend’s parents don’t find out or you and I are in big big trouble." The indictment also claims that Vance boasted about dosing the children with psilocybin, suggesting it was beneficial for their brains.
On October 13, 2023, he allegedly messaged a co-conspirator about an 11-year-old "cultivating and microdosing," and later mentioned dosing the minors with ".05 every other day." Ceballos-Rivera is accused of sending Vance a photograph of another child holding a psilocybin mushroom on September 7, 2024, with the caption, "From earlier today haha" and "'No face, no case.
'" Randal Vance faces additional charges for illegally possessing firearms, including a Glock 34 pistol and a Browning 30-06 rifle, in connection with the drug trafficking offense. On October 4, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at the Fallbrook and Bonsall locations, recovering approximately 204 pounds of fresh psilocybin mushrooms and 53 pounds of dried mushrooms, according to the press release..
