SANTA CLARA, Utah, Sept. 27, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A Washington County man was arrested and booked into jail Sunday on nine felony counts of financial card fraud, and a search warrant served Monday on his former apartment revealed what police are calling a clandestine drug lab.
Alejandro Castillo, 33, is being held in Washington County’s Purgatory Correctional Facility.
The initial investigation into credit card fraud began after a St. Ivins police officer was alerted to the use of two credit cards by someone other than the cardholder. The unauthorized charges totaled $393.70.
Castillo’s arrest documents say the legal cardholder told police she had visited a friend, “Deno,” in a local apartment building and had seen his roommate, Castillo, “who seemed a little suspicious.”
“(The woman) said she left her purse inside the apartment while they went swimming and believes Alejandro Castillo illegally accessed her wallet and stole her information,” court documents say.
Police learned “Deno” had called a local utility company asking his utilities be cut off since he was moving. Castillo then called the company to restore the service and gave one of the victim’s credit cards (declined) to pay a hook-up fee, charging documents say.
Castillo also said a $250 bill had been paid by his girlfriend, and gave the victim’s name, his probable cause statement says.
The victim told police she never had any relationship with Castillo, who was arrested Sunday, his probable cause statement says.
“I located a dollar bill folded up in the small pocket on the top right side of his pants,” the officer’s statement says. “I asked Mr. Castillo what was inside the dollar bill, he said there was cocaine inside. I located a small plastic straw in his front right pocket which had a white powdery substance inside.”
After Castillo claimed a sudden pain, he underwent medical clearance before being booked into jail. He was booked for investigation of:
- Five counts of unlawful use or a financial transaction card, a third-degree felony
- Possession of a controlled substances schedule l/ll/analog, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
- Five counts of theft, a class B misdemeanor
Apartment search
A second probable cause statement says the two new tenants of Castillo’s former apartment, along with the building’s owner, talked to investigators Monday about an unexpected discovery in the unit’s linen closet.
Large storage totes with the odor of marijuana were discovered.
A judge issued a search warrant, and police returned to investigate, Castillo’s drug-related probable cause statement says. Officers found four large black and yellow storage totes in the 27-gallon size.
“Officers found each large totes was completely full to the brim of marijuana,” arresting documents say. “The marijuana had been processed and trimmed into user consumable form.
“Officers also located two clear 54-quart sized containers. One container had a large number of visible mushrooms growing inside. The base had plant material/mulch consistent with the growing and fertilizing of psychedelic mushrooms. The container had multiple visible mushroom spores actively growing.”
Spray bottles and blocks of mulch and growing material were found.
“The whole setup is consistent with how mushrooms are grown/manufactured in a portable lab-type setting,” Castillo’s second probable cause statement says.
Also located were two plastic bags, one containing a substance that field tested positive for meth and the other that field tested positive for cocaine.
In the drug case, Castillo has been arrested for investigation of:
- Operation of a clandestine laboratory, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of possession with intent to distribute a class C substance, one as a second-degree felony and the other as a third-degree felony
- Possession of a controlled substances schedule l/ll/analog, a third-degree felony
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor
Castillo is being held without bail.
