ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — The Elkhart County Intelligence and Covert Enforcement unit –ICE–is investigating after arresting a Goshen man for growing magic mushrooms.
The more than 35-pounds of mushrooms named psilocybin (silo-sib-in) and found in his home, have a 56-thousand dollars street value.
34-year-old Mason Bails of Goshen now faces felony charges with a potential jail time of up to 30 years. According to the prosecutor’s office this is his first offense in Indiana quite a large one at that.
Bails’ home on County Road 117 was raided in mid- December by Elkhart County’s ICE unit.
That’s where Bails was arrested for dealing a controlled substance and possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.
The ICE unit was made aware of the large-scale growing operation by the Kent area narcotics enforcement team near Grand Rapids, Michigan, who found some of Bails’ drugs in a domestic disturbance call.
This led them to Bails’ home and probable cause to raid itwhere they found 35 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms among a slew of other illegal substances.
WSBT spoke with Elkhart County prosecutor Vicki Becker regarding the case, she says this is one of the biggest mushroom grow operations she’s seen.
“I really don’t know why we’re seeing larger grow operations recently if it’s just there’s been a heightened awareness or what’s going on, but it’s just interesting that these two have occurred within the last six months or so,” says Vicki Becker, Elkhart County prosecutor.
Other substances found in the operation include THC edibles and more magic mushrooms in unspecified stages of harvest as the 35 pounds police seized were harvested and ready to sell.
Becker tells me in her opinion, legalization of marijuana in surrounding states influences dealers to grow their own drugs.
“That messaging and that norming of the use of marijuana in such neighboring communities makes people think that it’s just really not all that big of a deal,” says Becker.
Overall, for 2023, the Elkhart County prosecutor’s office says they seized more than 1-million-dollars’ worth of drugs, with this bust topping the list.
Becker says dealers are changing marketing tactics and schemes, making it that much more difficult for her team.
