A fungus among us | Free News

Sharon man caught with mushroom-growing operation, JCSD reports

The mushrooms a Sharon man was growing were intended to be used for more than a tasty addition to a pizza or salad, the Jones County Sheriff’s Department reported.

Justin Byrd, 32, may be a fun guy, but the fungi growing in his house were against the law, narcotics agents said. That’s why Byrd was arrested last week and charged with trafficking and manufacturing a controlled substance after narcotics agents discovered an indoor operation for growing hallucinogenic psilocybin mushrooms that contain dimethyltryptamine, a Schedule 1 narcotic.

The operation was in his residence on Sharon-Moss Road, JCSD narcotics agents reported. In addition to the ’shrooms, they found digital scales and packaging material along with a firearm, which is an enhanced charge.

The JCSD went to the residence in response to a complaint filed with Child Protective Services, but no children were present at the time of the arrest.

Byrd made his initial appearance in Jones County Justice Court, where Judge Grant Hedgepeth set his bond at $40,000. The suspect has since posted bond and been released.

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