FALLBROOK — Three North County residents accused in a drug trafficking conspiracy that allegedly utilized children to help grow and distribute psilocybin mushrooms have been indicted by a federal grand jury.
Federal prosecutors say a 9- and 11-year-old helped the defendants cultivate, produce and sell “magic mushrooms” allegedly harvested at a pair of locations in Fallbrook and Bonsall.
Married couple Randal Vance, 42, of Fallbrook, and Rebecca Vance, 41, of Oceanside, face various drug trafficking charges along with Keir Ceballos-Rivera, 33, of Oceanside. Prosecutors allege the defendants also attempted to destroy evidence by deleting text messages and taking down websites that Randal Vance used to sell the drugs.
All three were arrested on Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not disclose the relationship between the defendants and the children.
Prosecutors said that in messages, Randal Vance described the children’s roles in the drug conspiracy.
Vance allegedly once texted someone a photograph of one of the children holding a mushroom and said the “11-year-old helps me grow them.”
Ceballos-Rivera also allegedly sent Vance a picture of a child holding a psilocybin mushroom with the child’s face covered and wrote, “No face, no case.”
One of the children, then a Lincoln Middle School student, told Vance he was selling a psilocybin capsule to a friend for $3. Vance said, “Nice! Make sure your friend’s parents don’t find out, or you and I are in big, big trouble.”
He also allegedly discussed providing microdoses of psilocybin to children, including the 9-year-old, saying, “It’s good for kids’ brains.”
A judge ordered the Vances held without bond on Thursday, while Ceballos-Rivera is due in court for a detention hearing next week.
Randal Vance was first taken into custody in October 2024 after authorities uncovered more than 200 pounds of illegal “magic mushrooms” stored in his home. Deputies searched a business on the 200 block of West Ash Street in Fallbrook and a residence on the 1600 block of West Lilac Road in Bonsall. Two children were present at the home during the raid and were taken into custody by their mother.
Detectives from the sheriff’s Marijuana Enforcement Team and Crime Suppression Team at the Fallbrook Sheriff’s Substation were involved in the operation, which revealed an illicit manufacturing and distribution network for psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in “magic mushrooms.”
Authorities said they seized 250 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, 40 pounds of psilocybin-infused chocolate, ecstasy, LSD, ketamine and six firearms from the two locations.
City News Service contributed to this report.
