MONROE - When DeForest police asked their counterparts in Monroe to help them execute a search warrant for evidence on a stalking suspect who lives here, they got more than they bargained for.
DeForest police arrested the suspect, 46-year-old John R. Karls of Monroe, without incident Wednesday and took him back to Dane County.
But upon searching the apartment house on Monroe's west side, police also found evidence of drug activity, prompting the issuance of a second warrant - and subsequent charges alleging Karls was growing hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Now, in addition to the felony stalking charges in Dane County, Karls is facing felony drug charges in Green County, according to Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley.
"It's a case where you are looking for something else and you find this kind of thing," said Kelley, of the search at 1203 9th St., which was executed in tandem with agents from the State Line Area Narcotics Team (SLANT) task force.
Along with psilocybin mushrooms, police also seized "other suspected controlled substances, along with U.S. currency and firearms," Kelley said in a statement.
The original stalking case began about a week ago, Kelley said, adding that it involved a threat to "someone's life."
But he had no further details on that Dane County case, citing the ongoing investigation there.
DeForest Detective James Pertzborn also declined to elaborate on the charges he's investigating, but Thursday said his department is preparing a statement on the Karls case and may release it today.
Green County charges against Karls include unlawful manufacturing of psilocybin mushrooms, a Class E felony, and unlawful possession with intent to deliver psilocybin mushrooms, a Class G felony.
A Class G felony is punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, while a Class E felony is punishable by a maximum sentence of 15 years.
While cases involving mushroom-growing operations are somewhat rare compared to other controlled substances, Kelley said, it's the second such operation uncovered in Monroe in recent years. In 2009, a pair of Monroe men were arrested in another SLANT investigation for conducting a "substantial" growing operation from the downtown Square at 1010 17th Ave.
In that case, 100 growing containers were seized, with a street value at the time estimated in the $100,000 range.
The operation uncovered Wednesday was considerable smaller, Kelley said, adding that the value of the psilocybin-related material seized is estimated in the "thousands of dollars" range.
Pertzborn and Kelley said additional charges against Karls are possible. Bond information for Karls was unavailable late Thursday.
DeForest police arrested the suspect, 46-year-old John R. Karls of Monroe, without incident Wednesday and took him back to Dane County.
But upon searching the apartment house on Monroe's west side, police also found evidence of drug activity, prompting the issuance of a second warrant - and subsequent charges alleging Karls was growing hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Now, in addition to the felony stalking charges in Dane County, Karls is facing felony drug charges in Green County, according to Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley.
"It's a case where you are looking for something else and you find this kind of thing," said Kelley, of the search at 1203 9th St., which was executed in tandem with agents from the State Line Area Narcotics Team (SLANT) task force.
Along with psilocybin mushrooms, police also seized "other suspected controlled substances, along with U.S. currency and firearms," Kelley said in a statement.
The original stalking case began about a week ago, Kelley said, adding that it involved a threat to "someone's life."
But he had no further details on that Dane County case, citing the ongoing investigation there.
DeForest Detective James Pertzborn also declined to elaborate on the charges he's investigating, but Thursday said his department is preparing a statement on the Karls case and may release it today.
Green County charges against Karls include unlawful manufacturing of psilocybin mushrooms, a Class E felony, and unlawful possession with intent to deliver psilocybin mushrooms, a Class G felony.
A Class G felony is punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, while a Class E felony is punishable by a maximum sentence of 15 years.
While cases involving mushroom-growing operations are somewhat rare compared to other controlled substances, Kelley said, it's the second such operation uncovered in Monroe in recent years. In 2009, a pair of Monroe men were arrested in another SLANT investigation for conducting a "substantial" growing operation from the downtown Square at 1010 17th Ave.
In that case, 100 growing containers were seized, with a street value at the time estimated in the $100,000 range.
The operation uncovered Wednesday was considerable smaller, Kelley said, adding that the value of the psilocybin-related material seized is estimated in the "thousands of dollars" range.
Pertzborn and Kelley said additional charges against Karls are possible. Bond information for Karls was unavailable late Thursday.