Lisa Marchesoni
Posted: Thursday, June 11, 2009 9:43 am

Nearly 35 pounds of Psilocybin (hallucinogenic) mushrooms baked into about 500 chocolate peanut butter cups were intercepted by Murfreesboro Police vice detectives before being sold at Bonnaroo music festival beginning Thursday in Manchester.

Vice detectives Wednesday raided the Kingwood Drive home of suspect Charles Culver, 22, and located the illegal drug with a street value of $10,000, said police spokesman Kyle Evans.

“We have seen an increase in LSD over the past several years and this is another form or substitute for that drug,” Evans said.

“The affects are hallucinogenic in nature, similar to LSD. They are very dangerous and there have been incidents of people dying the first time they used this drug.”

Origin of the mushrooms is not being disclosed.



“There’s no telling how many lives these detectives have saved by keeping these drugs off the street and they should be commended for an outstanding investigation leading to these arrests,” Evans said.

After a lengthy investigation, vice detectives led by Detectives Jeff Baskette and Merrill Beene obtained a search warrant for 303 W. Kingwood Drive. They served the search warrant Wednesday afternoon.

“We believe Charles Culver is the ringleader of the operation and that he obtained the mushrooms and baked them into chocolate peanut butter cups,” Evans said, adding detectives found the peanut butter cups were being made at the residence.
“We’ve had prior experiences with Charles Culver dealing drugs of a similar nature.”

Besides the peanut butter cups and mushrooms, vice detectives confiscated marijuana, several guns and thousands of dollars in cash.

During interviews, the suspects indicated the drugs were intended to be sold at Bonnaroo for $20 per cup.

Suspects Culver, and roommates James Tyler Segars, 21, and Edgar Chamu, 23, and Culver’s brother, Dane, 19, all of 303 Kingwood Drive, were charged with possession of Schedule I (hallucinogenic) mushrooms for resale, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Charles Culver, Segars and Chamu were additionally charged with maintaining a dwelling for the sale of drugs.

The four suspects were charged and booked into Rutherford County Adult Detention Center and released within two hours. A hearing is pending in General Sessions Court.

“This arrest and seizure is a very rare thing, especially for Murfreesboro,” Evans said.