BY ALEX PIAZZA
TRAVERSE CITY -- A local man faces multiple felonies after he allegedly ran a drug operation out of his bedroom.
Chase Gibbard, 20, of Traverse City, was arrested last week after deputies allegedly found ecstasy pills, bags of hallucinogenic mushrooms and marijuana scattered throughout his bedroom and basement. He lives with family in Acme Township.
Gibbard initially reported his safe had been stolen, and gave deputies a list of possible culprits. But those same culprits allegedly told deputies about Gibbard's drug business.
Those tips prompted authorities to search Gibbard's house, where they found drug paraphernalia, including scales, pipes, a grinder and sandwich bags, authorities said.
Gibbard told deputies that he sold drugs for about a year, according to court records. He allegedly grew mushrooms in his closet, with help from lights that accelerated their growth.
"Growing marijuana and growing mushrooms is completely different," said Detective Lt. Kip Belcher, of the Traverse Narcotics Team. "Growing mushrooms is a very defined task. It takes quite a bit of skill and know-how to cultivate mushrooms."
He was charged Friday as a habitual offender and for delivery/manufacture of ecstasy, marijuana and mushrooms. The ecstasy charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Gibbard remains in the Grand Traverse County Jail, with a preliminary examination scheduled for Feb. 12.
He has a criminal record that includes a weapon charge and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, both of which occurred within the past three years.
TNT agents assisted in the drug bust, which Belcher described as "somewhat unusual" because of the rarity of mushrooms in northern Michigan.
"That's not a highly sought-after substance in this area," he said. "The further east you go, there's less demand for mushrooms."
The same can't be said for ecstasy. The psychoactive drug, commonly known to induce a sense of intimacy among its users, has become more popular throughout the region.
TNT agents investigated a recent case in Traverse City that involved a more concentrated form of ecstasy in powder form, known as molly.
But most of the patients who come through Munson Medical Center's Behavioral Health Services seek treatment for alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs -- not ecstasy or mushrooms, said manager Pat Nestor.
