A Connecticut man was found growing $8.5 million worth of psychedelic mushrooms in his home after a tipster told authorities he was allegedly running a “clandestine” drug factory in the abode.
Westen Soule, 21, of Burlington, was arrested Thursday at his Lyon Road home after the state’s Narcotics Task Force was alerted about his alleged growing operation.
When the task force arrived at his home around 9 a.m., the young man escorted officers to a detached garage, where detectives “observed a large mushroom growing operation,” according to Connecticut State Police (CSP).
Soule claimed the mushrooms were legal and refused to allow them into his home.
After obtaining a search warrant, however, investigators found a “clandestine mushroom-growing factory within, containing psilocybin mushrooms in various stages of growth.”
Westen Soule of Burlington, Connecticut, was arrested Thursday after a tipster called the state’s Narcotics Task Force to report that the 21-year-old was running a drug factory out of his home. DEA Hartford Task Force
Soule claimed the mushrooms were legal and refused to allow officers into his home. DEA Hartford Task ForcePhotos released by CSP show racks upon racks of psychedelic mushrooms on metal shelves in multiple rooms of the Soule’s home.
The 21-year-old eventually changed tune, admitting to CSP that the mushrooms were psilocybin, a Schedule 1 controlled substance.
He was arrested and taken into custody at Troop L in Litchfield — the famed town where “Orange is the New Black” was set.
He was charged with possession with intent to sell/distribute narcotics and operation of a drug factory.
Soule is being held on a $250,000 bond and will appear in the New Britain Superior Court Friday.
