9/22/11 Wooster businessman pleads in hallucinogenic mushroom case

  • By Nick Sabo
  • September 22, 2011
  • 391
                        
SUMMARY: Faces forfeiture of properties, guns A Wooster businessman is facing prison time after pleading to charges that he cultivated and sold hallucinogenic mushrooms. Bert D. Underwood, 57, 692 Greenwood Boulevard, Wooster, pleaded guilty in Wayne County Common Pleas Court to two counts of trafficking in drugs and one count of illegal manufacture or illegal cultivation of drugs. As a condition of his plea, Underwood further agreed to forfeiture of at least one residential property, cash, numerous firearms and ammunition and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The trafficking charges against Underwood stem from April 15 and April 28. The illegal cultivation charge stems from June 6. The charges carry a total maximum sentence of 18 years in prison. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Williams said the illegal cultivation charge, a second-degree felony, carries a mandatory, though unspecified, prison term. Underwood was one of six defendants indicted by the grand jury June 10 following a six month investigation by Medway Drug Enforcement Agency into the cultivation and sale of psilocybin mushrooms in Wayne County. Medway agents purchased psilocybin mushrooms from Underwood at his jewelry store on Cleveland Avenue. According to Medway reports, Underwood sold the dried mushrooms by the ounce for between $125 - $150. Of the remaining codefendants, Brian K. Brown, 44, 7040 Cleveland Road, Wooster has pleaded guilty to five counts of illegal manufacture or cultivation of drugs and two counts of trafficking in controlled substances. He is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 28. Ilene Bennett, 68, and Harry Bennett, 67, both of 7040 Cleveland Road, Wooster, Shannon M. Yeagley, 30, 3669 E. Sterling Road, Creston, and Justin R. Graham, 27, 140 N. Main St., Creston, are scheduled for pre-trial conferences Sept. 29. Subject to forfeiture for Brown is 35 firearms and ammunition, $2,384 in cash, the motorcycle, and properties at 692 Greenwood Boulevard and 5672 Force Road, Clinton Township. Common Pleas Judge Corey Spitler ordered a presentence investigation. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load