San Diego County father admits dosing young sons with hallucinogens daily

A San Diego County father, 43, admitted in federal court to repeatedly dosing his two young sons with hallucinogenic mushrooms while also using them to help run a psilocybin trafficking operation.

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Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California announced that Randal Vance pleaded guilty to multiple federal drug charges, including 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.

As part of his plea agreement, Vance admitted he began giving his sons — then 9 and 11 years old — psilocybin capsules around October 2023. The doses started every other day before increasing to daily by 2024, according to prosecutors. He also admitted supplying psilocybin capsules to his oldest son, then 12, to sell to friends and providing the drug to his wife, Rebecca Vance, for distribution.

In his plea agreement, Vance also admitted operating multiple websites and with the Instagram account “psillyrabbitca” to sell dried mushrooms, psilocybin chocolates and capsules online. 

Vance’s guilty plea marks the latest development in a case that began with search warrants served at two North County properties on Oct. 4, 2024.

At the time, San Diego County Sheriff’s Office deputies searched a business on Ash Street in Fallbrook and a home on Lilac Road in Bonsall and uncovered what authorities described as an illegal psilocybin manufacturing and distribution operation. Investigators initially recovered approximately 40 pounds of psilocybin-infused chocolate, along with ecstasy, LSD and suspected ketamine. Authorities estimated the drugs had a street value exceeding $200,000. 

According to federal prosecutors, investigators overall seized about 204 pounds of fresh psilocybin mushrooms, 53 pounds of dried mushrooms and equipment used to cultivate and process the drug at the property in Fallbrook located in San Diego County. At the property in Bonsall, authorities recovered about 25 pounds of dried mushrooms, five pounds of psilocybin capsules and six firearms, including two pistols with loaded magazines nearby. Prosecutors said none of the firearms were secured.

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Vance texted a photo to a customer of one of the boys holding a large mushroom and wrote that the “11 year old helps me grow them,” according to the original indictment. In another message, prosecutors said he claimed the child “cultivates and microdoses” because “It’s good for kids’ brains.” 

The indictment also cited a May 2024 exchange in which one of the boys told Vance he had sold a psilocybin capsule to a friend for $3 while attending middle school. Vance allegedly replied: “Nice! Make sure your friend’s parents don’t find out or you and I are in big big trouble.”

Following the October 2024 searches, prosecutors said Vance, his wife and their friend Keir Ceballos-Rivera conspired to destroy evidence by deleting phone messages and removing websites used to market the drugs.

Rebecca Vance and Ceballos-Rivera previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Vance is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 18 before U.S. District Judge Robert Huie. Rebecca Vance is scheduled for sentencing July 17, while Ceballos-Rivera is set to be sentenced Aug. 28.