FARMINGTON – A 21-year-old man is facing an aggravated unlawful trafficking charge after police say he was growing hallucinogenic mushrooms in his apartment, which happened to be within 1,000 feet of a school.
The Farmington Police Department received an anonymous tip through the State Police tip line that Benjamin German was growing psilocybin mushrooms, said police Chief Jack Peck Wednesday morning.
On Monday, police Sgt. Edward Hastings IV and Officer Justin Blais went to German’s apartment he is renting on Perham Street, which is next to W.G. Mallett School. German, a University of Maine at Farmington student, has lived alone at the apartment since the beginning of the semester, Peck said.
The officers identified and seized the mushrooms allegedly found growing in a moist growing medium inside a covered plastic bin in German’s apartment. A mushroom sample will be sent to the state lab for positive identification. German received a summons charging him with felony Class B unlawful trafficking.
“He admitted he was growing psychedelic mushrooms,” Peck said and added, “he was very cooperative.”
A controlled substance, psilocybin or “magic” mushrooms ingested are known to cause hallucinations and euphoria. Under Maine statute, a person found growing psilocybin mushrooms is charged with unlawful trafficking. The charge is aggravated if the offense takes place within 1,000 feet of a school.
A Class B crime can result in a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $20,000.
German’s initial court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 6.
Not to smart. If found quilty there goes his education and a criminal trcord. What a shame
More great work by Chief Peck and his officers. Truly a lucky community.
He can still get an education. We will be paying for it as taxpayer.
just a friendly reminder— the majority of mushrooms one encounters outdoors etc. are poison– can make you very very sick or dead. Experienced, educated mushroom pickers (for food etc.) are still very careful to confirm identification of safe varieties. Most poison mushrooms do not make you feel any symptoms for several hours—up to 24hrs—usually they cause you harm by damaging your liver, and often by the time you experience any symptoms of poisoning…your liver is dangerously/life threateningly damaged.
Don’t mess around with mushrooms of any sort without experienced knowledgeable confirmation that they are safe to consume.
Angel, he didn’t pick wild mushrooms, he was GROWING them. You can legally purchase magic mushroom spores online–one can pick and choose what variety of psychadelic mushrooms they desire. Unlike, if you were to try and buy mushrooms through a shady drug dealer, you don’t know what you’re getting, and I seriously doubt he was going to sell those mushrooms to school children.
Unlawfull trafficking!! .I would think he would have to be caught selling them for that.
We do indeed live in a police state.That law should be changed.Really never have been made.
I know him well, and I can honestly say he is a very sensitive, bookish, and overall sweet guy who just happened to get caught up in something he shouldn’t have. Unfortunately, the allure of money is incredibly powerful. I will also state that there is no way he would EVER sell to children. This whole thing has made me sick to my stomach, and I pray his cooperation with the officers will lessen his punishment. I also pray he’ll be able to finish his degree, after he pays whatever dues doled out, and move on from all this.