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December 3, 2009

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Magic Mushroom Suspect’s Surrender Set

Thursday, March 7, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Bill Peppin, 51, hasn't been charged yet, but investigators say the "magic mushroom" farm was discovered in the garage of a house he rented, and 50 pounds of dried mushrooms were found in his car in Truckee.

Authorities haven't had direct contact with Peppin, and have been talking with his lawyer who isn't being identified at this point, division spokesman Gordon Absher said in confirming the surrender plan.

Roger Denault, 53, of Portland, Ore., was stopped Feb. 27 for a traffic violation, and officers spotted the mushrooms in the back seat of the car. Peppin's house was raided later in the day.

The psilocybin mushrooms found in the car combined with about 175 pounds of dried and still-growing mushrooms at Peppin's house have a street value estimated at more than $500,000.

Peppin, a mining consultant, worked for the University of Nevada, Reno as an assistant geology professor and later as a research seismologist.

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