North County Residents Indicted for Using Children to Manufacture and Distribute Hallucinogenic Drugs

SAN DIEGO – Randal Vance and his longtime friend, Keir Ceballos-Rivera, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that they employed children to help them cultivate, produce and distribute psilocybin mushrooms at locations in Fallbrook and Bonsall.

Also indicted was Rebecca Vance, wife of Randal Vance. The trio made their initial appearances in federal court today on an array of federal drug-trafficking charges. Randal Vance and Ceballos are charged with conspiring to use and employ minors to produce a controlled substance; all defendants are charged with conspiring to distribute a controlled substance and conspiring to obstruct justice by destroying evidence; and Randal Vance is charged with distributing a controlled substance to minors and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

At today’s hearing, prosecutors told the court the children were 9 and 11 when the alleged conspiracy to harvest psilocybin at the locations on Ash Street in Fallbrook and Lilac Road in Bonsall began. Psilocybin mushrooms are a controlled substance that act as hallucinogenic drugs, inducing altered states of consciousness and vivid sensory experiences.

All three defendants were arrested yesterday. At today’s hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie E. Torres granted the government’s request that Randal and Rebecca Vance be detained without bond because they are a flight risk. A detention hearing for Ceballos-Rivera is set for March 25, 2025.

The United States told the Court that Randal Vance informed customers and co-conspirators that the minors assisted him in producing psilocybin. For example, on or about October 18, 2023, Vance texted a photograph of one of the minors holding a large psilocybin mushroom in front of his face at the Ash Street location and said that the “11 year old helps me grow them.”

One of the minors informed Randal Vance on May 31, 2024, that he was selling a psilocybin capsule to a friend for $3. At the time, the boy was a student at Lincoln Middle School in Oceanside. Randal Vance responded: “Nice! Make sure your friend’s parents don’t find out or you and I are in big big trouble.”

Randal Vance boasted of dosing the children with psilocybin and advised others to do likewise, the indictment said. For example, on or about October 13, 2023, Randal Vance messaged a co-conspirator a photo of one of the minors holding a large psilocybin mushroom and stated that an 11-year old “cultivates and microdoses. It’s good for kids’ brains.” Later in the conversation, Randal Vance identified the other minor as nine years old and said, “Yeah I usually do a half dose of microdose capsules for them” and “.05 every other day for them. It’s such a difference too.”

Ceballos-Rivera sent Randal Vance a photograph of another child at the Ash Street location holding a large psilocybin mushroom and covering part of his/her face on or about September 7, 2024. Ceballos-Rivera wrote: “From earlier today haha” and “‘No face, no case.’”

Randal Vance is also charged with illegally possessing 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 in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

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, 35 pounds of psilocybin chocolate bars, 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, five pounds of psilocybin chocolates, and five pounds of psilocybin capsules, as well as molds used to make the psilocybin chocolate bars.

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, the defendants are alleged to have conspired together to destroy evidence by deleting phone messages and taking down websites Randal Vance had used to distribute psilocybin.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Benjamin and Dana Segal.

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-817-RSH                                   

Randal Vance                                     Age: 42                                   Fallbrook, CA

Rebecca Vance                                   Age: 41                                   Oceanside, CA

Keir Ceballos-Rivera                          Age: 33                                   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

Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense- – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 924(c)

Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum five years to life 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

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.