‘Magic Mushroom’ Bust Sends Rochester Man to Prison

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man has been sent to prison for a major drug bust involving hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Olmsted County Court records indicate 32-year-old Eli Alan Callaway was charged after Rochester police executed a search warrant at a residence in the 500 block of 5th Avenue Southeast in late September 2023. The criminal complaint in the case says investigators seized nearly 1000 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, along with packaging and multiple digital scales.

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The court document says the majority of the more than 2 pounds of hallucinogenic mushrooms were discovered in a bedroom used by Callaway, who was charged with one count each of first-degree drug sales and first-degree drug possession. The complaint notes that the large amount of mushrooms and the scales found in the residence were indicative of drug sale activity.

Callaway has been given a 43 month prison sentence for the conviction. With credit for the jail time he has served since his arrest and good behavior, Callaway could be eligible for release in February 2026.

He was previously convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in Olmsted County in 2015. His criminal record also includes a 2023 conviction for failing to register as a predatory offender.