Man sentenced to six years for large‑scale magic mushroom operation

Ben Mayo was sentenced to six years in prison after police uncovered nearly 12 kg of magic mushrooms and a home laboratory. Police found hundreds of vacuum‑sealed bags of mushrooms in his wardrobe, bags and shed, along with eight large plastic containers of soil holding growing mushrooms. A cash stash of about $60,000 was hidden under a couch, and investigators seized a lab equipped with mushroom spores, chemicals, pH meters, sterilisation gear, a magnetic spinner, petri dishes and grow bags. Mayo had also imported red wood bark, declared as aromatic herbs, to extract the psychedelic DMT. He pleaded guilty to five drug‑related charges involving importation, manufacture and possession for supply of Class A substances. Crown prosecutor Laura Clay argued the operation was commercial and stressed the seriousness of a Class A drug, while Mayo’s lawyer William Mohammed highlighted Mayo’s neurodiverse profile, ADHD and autistic traits, and his claim that the drugs were a “community service”. Judge Paul Geoghegan set a starting point of six years, applied a 15% discount for the guilty plea, a 10% reduction for the limited psychological link, and another 10% for rehabilitation prospects. He noted the cash amount was “not to be sniffed at” but accepted the defence’s view that Mayo was a one‑person operation living modestly. ## Context The case shows how New Zealand law still treats psychedelics like magic mushrooms as Class A drugs, despite growing international debate on reclassification. It also illustrates how courts may weigh neurodiversity and personal circumstances when deciding sentences.