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Lenoir Man Charged with Two Grow Operations
On May 12, 2010, a drug investigation
into a Lenoir man accused of manufacturing psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana came to a
close when a search warrant was executed at his residence located at 3529 Boyette Drive in
Lenoir. A joint investigation between the
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office Ice
Unit, Boone Police Department and Longview Police Department yielded approximately four
pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, fifty seven marijuana plants, and almost a ¼ pound of
dried marijuana packaged in baggies. The
drugs have a combined street level value of $187,948.00 according to state guidelines.
The investigation began when
undercover agents made controlled purchases of drugs from the suspect while at his home. As a result, a search warrant was issued by a
district court judge and served by the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team. Agents found two indoor grow operations, one for
the mushrooms and another for the marijuana plants. The
marijuana plants ranged from 3 inches to two feet in height. The grow operations were primarily in the basement
of the home, however, some of the growing process for the mushrooms were also located
upstairs.
The suspect, Charles Richard Jason Annas, age 36, was arrested
at his house by an agent with the SBI and charged with drug violations. More charges are expected in the future. Psilocybin mushrooms, also called “shrooms”
are a Schedule I controlled substance and are considered a hallucinogenic drug with no
medical value.
“You don’t
see mushroom grow operations often. This was
a large scale operation that has been dismantled”. –
Sheriff Alan C. Jones
Charles Richard Jason Annas, W/M, age 36
3529 Boyette Drive
Lenoir, NC 28645
One (1) Count – Felonious Possession
with Intent to Sell/Deliver Marijuana.
One (1) Count – Felonious Manufacture
Marijuana.
One (1) Count – Felonious
Manufacture Psilocybin Mushrooms.
One (1) Count – Felonious Maintain a
Dwelling to Keep/Store a Controlled Substance.
Annas was incarcerated under a
$150,000 secured bond in the Caldwell County Detention Center and has a court appearance
in District Court in Lenoir on May 13, 2010.
The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office
is always in search of any information involving the use and distribution of illegal
controlled substances. A concerned citizen’s
information and assistance will be kept confidential.
If you have any information concerning illegal drug activity in Caldwell
County, please contact the:
Caldwell County Sheriff's Office
I.C.E. Unit at 828-757-1178.
Lenoir Police Department’s
Narcotics Division at 828-757-2145.
Caldwell County Crimestoppers at
828-758-8300.
This site was last updated 05/13/10
