Fallbrook Man Admits Dosing His Children with Hallucinogenic Mushrooms

SAN DIEGO - Randal Vance pleaded guilty in federal court today to multiple drug charges, admitting he dosed his children with hallucinogenic drugs and led a conspiracy that employed the children to help cultivate, produce and distribute the psilocybin mushrooms at locations in Fallbrook and Bonsall.

Vance, the ringleader of the conspiracy, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to use a minor to produce and distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of distributing a controlled substance to minors, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Two co-defendants - his wife Rebecca Vance and friend Keir Ceballos-Rivera - previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

In his plea agreement, Randal Vance admitted his boys were 9 and 11 when the conspiracy to produce psilocybin began at locations on Ash Street in Fallbrook and Lilac Road in Bonsall. Psilocybin mushrooms are a controlled substance that act as hallucinogenic drugs, inducing altered states of consciousness and vivid sensory experiences.

The defendant admitted in his plea agreement that he maintained two websites, psillyrabbit.com and psillyrabbitmushrooms.com, as well as the Instagram page psillyrabbitca, to market and sell psilocybin. He sold whole dried and freeze-dried psilocybin mushrooms over the internet as well as chocolates containing psilocybin and capsules containing pure psilocybin.

Randal Vance admitted providing psilocybin capsules for his oldest son, age 12 at that time, to sell to his friends. He also admitted providing the drug to his wife, Rebecca Vance, to distribute to others.

According to his plea agreement, beginning around October 2023, Randal Vance began dosing the 9- and 11-year-old victims with psilocybin capsules every other day, increasing to every day by 2024.

According to the plea agreement, on October 4, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants on the Fallbrook and Bonsall locations. At the Ash Street location, law enforcement recovered approximately 204 pounds of fresh psilocybin mushrooms, 53 pounds of dried psilocybin mushrooms, 18 pounds of inoculated substrate to grow psilocybin mushrooms, and equipment used to grow, harvest, and process psilocybin mushrooms.

At the Lilac Road location, law enforcement recovered approximately 25 pounds of dried psilocybin mushrooms and five pounds of psilocybin capsules. Law enforcement officials also seized six firearms from the Lilac Road location: a Glock 34 pistol, a Walther P22 pistol, a Henry Survival AR7 rifle, a Smith and Wesson revolver, an H&R Model 900 revolver, and a Browning 30-06 rifle. None of the firearms were locked up, and loaded magazines were found next to the Glock 34 and Walther P22.

Randal Vance was arrested that day. Prior to his federal arrest, he was out on bond pending state charges. After Randal Vance's arrest by local law enforcement, he and his co-defendants conspired together to destroy evidence by deleting phone messages and taking down the websites Randal Vance had used to distribute psilocybin, the plea agreement said

Randal Vance is scheduled to be sentenced September 18 at 9 a.m. by U.S. District Judge Robert S. Huie. Rebecca Vance is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17; Keir Ceballos-Rivera on August 28.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Benjamin.

If you are concerned that your child may have been exposed to illegal drugs as a result of the activities alleged in this case, please contact the DEA at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip.

DEFENDANTS Case Number 25-cr-00817

Randal Vance Age: 43 Fallbrook, CA

Rebecca Vance Age: 42 Oceanside, CA

Keir Ceballos-Rivera Age: 34 Oceanside, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Employ or Use Minors to Violate the Controlled Substances Act - Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841, 846, and 861(a)

Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum one year to 40 years in prison

Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance- - Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841 and 846

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison

Distribution of a Controlled Substance to Minors- Title 21, U.S.C., Section 859(a)

Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum one year to 40 years in prison

Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice- - Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1503(a), (b)(3), and 371

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Drug Enforcement Administration

San Diego Sheriff's Department