Revised January 1, 2006, July 29, 2007, November 5, 2007 amd August 3, 3009
Copyright 1998-2009 by John W. Allen





NEWS ARCHIVES



Hello and welcome to our News archives.

In this section you will find several newspaper clippings regarding the occurrence and use of visionary mushrooms in Nevada.
They are arranged alphabetically by newspapers and then Chronologically by dates.



Nevada
A page devoted to newspaper clippings from Neveda


 
The Record courier-Douglas County, Nevada.
by Sheila Gardner,
June 7, 2006


Woman gets 25 years for mushroom sales

A 30-year-old Gardnerville woman was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison for her part in the sale of one pound of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Moments before she was sentenced by District Judge Michael Gibbons, defendant Leslie Rayann Stein asked for a new lawyer.

"Is it too late for me to request a new attorney?" Stein asked. "Mr. (Alan) Erb didn't represent me to the best of his ability. I just want to make sure this is the best I am going to get."

She must serve 10 years in prison be­fore she is eligible for parole.

Stein admitted in April that she ar­ran­ged for the sale of one-pound of the mush­rooms.

According to prosecutor Mark Jackson, the infiltration of mushrooms in the middle schools and high school had been a "major problem" which dried up following Stein's arrest in March.

Jackson also said Stein had been a methamphetamine user half her life and had been selling drugs for four years.

"That's how she survived living in this community by poisoning this community," he said.

She could have received probation by providing substantial information on other cases to law enforcement. According to Erb, she didn't have information law enforcement needed.

Erb said he defended her as vigorously as he does all his cases.

"I handled this case as I have done with every case before the court," Erb said. "I looked into all possibilities, I spoke to law enforcement and outside law enforcement as to what could or could not be done."

She complained that they rarely met to go over documents or discuss her case, but Jackson said he had at least 10 meetings with Erb in negotiating the plea.

In answer to a question from Gibbons, Jackson said it would have made no difference had Stein been represented by another lawyer.

"From the outset, I made it clear this case would be charged as a level three trafficking offense. Ms. Stein had the option of going to trial on multiple charges," Jackson said.

Several felony charges were dropped when Stein agreed to plead guilty to one count of trafficking in a controlled substance.

"I never sold mushrooms before except they three times they have me on record," Stein said. "I'm a drug addict. I am not a drug dealer."

Gibbons disagreed.

"You sold drugs, you pled guilty. You are a drug dealer," he said.

Jackson referred to a statement Stein made about the loss to her 7- and 11-year-old children if she goes to prison.

"Besides giving birth, she's hardly ever been a part of their lives at all. She has no custody of them," he said.

"If these children were not enough to make her change, to stop cradling that pipe and go cradle those children, there's nothing the court can order to make her change," Jackson said.

Gibbons rejected Stein's request for new representation and advised Erb to document the case in case she files for post-conviction relief.

"Once she's out of state prison, she'll file for relief from the conviction and we'll be back in court," he said.

"The state welcomes that," Jackson said.

Gibbons said he had no choice but to sentence her to 25 years with 10 years minimum parole eligibility.

"The state Legislature considers this an extremely serious offense, a level A," he said.

The maximum sentence is life in prison.

He waived a fine, which could have been up to $500,000 under the state statute.

Stein wept as she was led from the courtroom.



 
North Lake Taho Bonanza
May 13, 2007
Truckee, Nevada

TRUCKEE - The Truckee Police Department last week seized 10 pounds of hallucinogenic mushrooms from an undisclosed location within the Town of Truckee.

On May 4, the day after the contraband was seized, Truckee police located the suspect, 23-year-old Nancy Crowell, as she was driving on Brockway Road. The Placer County Sheriff's office assisted in the investigation.

Officers conducted a "high risk" traffic stop in front of the Best Western Hotel and arrested Crowell without incident.

Crowell was later booked at Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada City for alleged possession of a controlled substance for sale and transportation of a controlled substance.

The dried psilocybin mushrooms had a street value of approximately $42,000. Possession of the psychedelic fungi is a felony.

Truckee Police with assistance from the Nevada County Sheriff's Department later served a search warrant at Crowell's residence in Grass Valley, where they confiscated more evidence.

The investigation is continuing, said Truckee Police Lt. Harwood Mitchell.



 

http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/article/20080730/News/785785126/1055/SPORTS&parentprofile=-1

 

LVN Beta – Lahontan Valley News

 

Teen pleads guilty to trafficking mushrooms
July 30, 2008 - LahontanValleyNews.com

One of the three people arrested in early June on a variety of drug charges pleaded guilty Tuesday morning in district court.


Rickey Miller.


Rickey Miller, 19, pleaded guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance in the amount of 14 to 28 grams of Psilocybin (mushrooms).

Under the plea memorandum, the state agreed not to pursue the charges of trafficking in a controlled substance Level I, possession of a controlled substance (LSD), possession of stolen property (a firearm), carrying or possessing a concealed weapon and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance.

When Miler is sentenced Sept. 2, he faces a term of two to 15 years in the Nevada State Prison. Probation is not an option.

Miller, represented by attorney Fran Archuleta, was the second person to plead guilty to the drug charges stemming from the June 3 traffic stop.

Raymond Vincent Garza and Jillian Jean Sasser were also arrested, and Garza has already pleaded guilty to two counts of offering, attempting, or commission of an unauthorized act relating to a controlled substance -cocaine and methamphetamine.

He faces one to six years in prison on each count when sentenced on Aug. 12. Probation is an option. Sasser will be arraigned on Aug, 5.

The three were stopped by law enforcement authorities Tuesday night at the intersection of Lima Lane and St. Clair Road on suspicion Sasser's vehicle was speeding.

The vehicle allegedly contained approximately $600, 41.5 grams of marijuana, 8.2 grams of ecstasy, 48.3 grams of Psilocybin mushrooms, 3.1 grams of cocaine, 1.1 grams of crack cocaine, 2.2 grams of cocaine base, several pipes, scales and two guns - a .357 Magnum and a .380. One of the guns had recently been reported stolen.

District Judge David Huff told Miller he needed to hear what he had done before accepting the guilty plea.

"I was living in Reno, and I had some mushrooms, and I came down to Fallon to party," Miller said.



 
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/8734298/an/0/page/1


lahontanvalleynews.com

August 6, 2008

Fallon woman pleads guilty to mushroom trafficking

lahontanvalleynews.com

The last of three people arrested in early June on a variety of drug charges pleaded guilty Tuesday morning in district court.

Jillian Jean Sasser Miller, 18, pleaded guilty to trafficking a controlled substance in the amount of 14 to 28 grams of Psilocybin (mushrooms).

Sasser, who cried throughout the brief hearing, told District Judge Robert Estes she was pleading guilty as part of a plea memorandum.

Sasser initially was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance (LSD), possession of stolen property (a firearm) and three counts of possession of a controlled substance (marijuana, ecstasy and acid).

The state also agreed not to pursue charges of speeding in an automobile and possession of marijuana, both misdemeanors

When Sasser is sentenced Sept. 30, she faces a term of two to 15 years in the Nevada State Prison and a fine up to $100,000. Probation is not an option.

Under Nevada law, prisoners must serve 40 percent of the maximum sentence imposed before being eligible for parole if not paroled before the minimum sentence. The parole board decides whether a person is granted parole.

If convicted of Level III trafficking (more than 28 grams of an illegal narcotic), Sasser would have faced one of two sentences - life or 25 years in prison with a possibility of parole after 10 years.

Represented by attorney Jack Alian, Sasser was the last of three people to plead guilty to the drug charges stemming from the June 3 traffic stop.

Raymond Vincent Garza and Rickey Miller were also arrested, and Garza has pleaded guilty to two counts of offering, attempting, or commission of an unauthorized act relating to a controlled substance -cocaine and methamphetamine.

He faces one to six years in prison on each count when sentenced on Aug. 12. Miller pleaded guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance in the amount of 14 to 28 grams of Psilocybin mushrooms and faces a prison term of two to 15 years in prison when sentenced Sept. 2.

The three were stopped by law enforcement authorities Tuesday night at the intersection of Lima Lane and St. Clair Road on suspicion Sasser's vehicle was speeding.

The vehicle allegedly contained approximately $600, 41.5 grams of marijuana, 8.2 grams of ecstasy, 48.3 grams of Psilocybin mushrooms, 3.1 grams of cocaine, 1.1 grams of crack cocaine, 2.2 grams of cocaine base, several pipes, scales and two guns - a .357 Magnum and a .380. One of the guns had recently been reported stolen.

Alian asked Estes what the bail amount was for Sasser, and he was informed it was $100,000. The judge asked if a bail reduction hearing was wanted, and Alian said the hearing was not needed, but his client's family wanted to know the amount.

*Related post: Teen pleads guilty to trafficking mushrooms



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