SAN DIEGO — A North County woman who helped sell psilocybin with her husband and involved their young sons in growing and distributing the drugs was sentenced today to three years and five months in federal prison.
Rebecca Vance, 42, of Oceanside, pleaded guilty along with her husband, Randal Vance, and his friend, Keir Ceballos-Rivera, to participating in a conspiracy to cultivate and distribute psilocybin mushrooms and psilocybin products.
Although prosecutors identified Randal Vance as the “ringleader of the conspiracy,” they wrote in sentencing papers that Rebecca Vance was “an active participant” who distributed psilocybin capsules and found customers.
The couple also had their sons help grow mushrooms beginning when they were 9 and 11 years old, according to prosecutors.
Randal Vance admitted in his plea agreement to giving his sons psilocybin capsules every other day and providing his older son with capsules to sell to friends.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defendants produced psilocybin at two locations in Fallbrook and Bonsall and sold the products online.
After law enforcement officers searched the Fallbrook and Bonsall properties, seized psilocybin mushrooms and capsules, and arrested the defendants, prosecutors said they deleted text messages and removed websites used to sell the drugs, resulting in additional conspiracy to obstruct justice charges.
Defense attorney Kerry Armstrong argued in sentencing papers that Rebecca Vance played a limited role in the offenses and was unaware of the full scope of the conspiracy, including her husband’s distribution of hallucinogenic drugs to their sons.
Randal Vance and Ceballos-Rivera are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
