NORTH SAN JUAN — On Friday, September 6th, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) and California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) completed an ongoing undercover operation at the Brass Rail Tavern with the arrest of a bartender. The arrested man had sold mushrooms on three occasions to undercover ABC agents.

NCSO Sergeant Andrew Liller explained that investigation began after an inspection, saying, “In the case of Brass Rail, there were enough violations present to prompt an undercover investigation into the bar’s operations.” The resulting operation was conducted over a year, during which ABC’s Northern Special Operation unit kept a “close watch” on the bar.

After an arrest and search warrant were obtained, the suspect was arrested as he arrived to the bar. Psilocybin mushrooms were found in a search of his vehicle, and cannabis was found in several locations within the bar.

The arrest was widely criticized on Facebook, with many questioning the use of taxpayer dollars on such a long-running operation. Comments emphasized that fentanyl and methamphetamine should be primary targets for law enforcement, and that busts for small-time dealers of mushrooms and cannabis were a waste of resources. The NCSO followed up with a request for tips on drug dealing operations of a more serious nature.