Porter County Courts
August 9, 2012 4:30PM
Updated: August 9, 2012 10:40PM
Portage
Psychedelic mushrooms found
A Portage man and woman have a Jan. 7 trial date for growing psilocybin mushrooms in their home.
Police arrested Devin Nicole Morton, 21, and Michael D. Funston, 21, on Aug. 1 after responding to a 3:14 p.m. call of Funston overdosing on the mushrooms.
While there, police noticed a glass smoking pipe on the dresser that Morton admitted they used to smoke marijuana.
When they began arresting Morton, she said, “Please don’t cuff me. I used the mushrooms, too, and I am freaking out.”
An officer noticed a syringe labeled with “psilcybe cubersis,” and police got a search warrant and found two plastic totes of mushrooms and a growing operation.
Both were taken to Porter hospital and later charged with Class B felony manufacture of a controlled substance, Class D felony possession of a controlled substance, Class D felony maintaining a common nuisance and misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia.
They face up to 20 years in prison.
The two were in Porter County Jail Thursday afternoon, both on $50,000 bail bond each, and both received public defenders Aug. 3.
New Chicago man set truck on fire
A jury on Thursday found a New Chicago man guilty of setting his ex-girlfriend’s truck on fire, threatening her and stealing a van that he used to hit her brother’s vehicle.
They also decided that Brandon Scroggin, 28, is a habitual offender based on his previous felony convictions, making him eligible for an enhancement when he is sentenced on Sept. 7
Before the enhancement, Scroggin faces up to eight years in prison on Class C felony receiving stolen auto parts and three years each on Class D felony arson and Class D felony intimidation.
Deputy Prosecutor Trista Hudson told the jury that the events of March 10 and 11 were about “control and the severe reaction when it is lost.”
Scroggin’s girlfriend - with help from her family and friends - kicked him out of her Portage home after dating for two months, and he threatened her using his cellphone and that of a man he met while drinking March 10.
Hudson said he stole the new drinking buddy’s van to go set fire to the truck and hit the ex-girlfriend’s brother’s car.
Defense Attorney Bob Harper said the detectives found nothing threatening in the texts and messages he left for the ex-girlfriend, that the van owner gave him the keys because he was too drunk to drive himself and that the testimony of the witnesses was contradictory.
One witness said she hadn’t met Scroggin - who has tribal facial tattoos and the words “psycho” and “trust no (expletive)” on his neck - although others said she introduced him to the victim..
