DeKalb man charged with possessing LSD, psychedelic mushrooms

A DeKalb man faces potentially decades in prison after DeKalb police said they found LSD, psychedelic mushrooms and other drugs in his Kimberly Drive apartment.

James M. Vangellow, 29, was charged with possessing LSD, psilocybin, oxycodone, hydrocodone and marijuana with the intent to deliver, according to DeKalb County court records.

Due to the amount of LSD found and because prosecutors allege Vangellow intended to distribute the LSD, the possession charge is a Class X felony, which if convicted of, can carry a prison sentence of six to 30 years. The charge is not probational.

The DeKalb Police Department searched Vangellow’s apartment May 28 and found $1,800 in cash in a safe, as well as 12 plastic bags of various sizes containing what police suspected was marijuana, a piece of tin foil containing between 15 and 200 objects suspected of being LSD, one plastic bag containing 36 pills of suspected hydrocodone and another bag containing 14 pills of suspected oxycodone, according to a synopsis filed by the department in court.

Another $714 was found “throughout the remainder of the residence,” according to the synopsis. Officers also allegedly found a s’more and chocolate bar, both suspected of containing psilocybin; two plastic totes containing growing mushrooms; and several syringes containing suspected psilocybin spore liquid.

In addition to other packaging material, officers also found numerous “other containers, growing materials, and packaging indicative of suspected psilocybin manufacture,” according to the synopsis.

Vangellow, who opened the door when officers arrived to execute the search warrant, allegedly “admitted to manufacturing psilocybin mushrooms” and told officers that when he smokes with people, they will give him money for the cannabis.

While prosecutors requested Vangellow be detained pretrial, alleging he was a danger to the community due to the “large volume” of multiple drugs he’s accused of possessing, the judge ordered he be released.

Vangellow did not have an attorney listed as of Tuesday.