Detectives from Partners Against Narcotics Trafficking, a multi-agency task force, arrested Adam Berger Dearmon, 49, of Camp Verde with multiple drug offenses after $30,000 worth of mescaline, a psychedelic drug found in peyote, was discovered inside his home on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021.
This arrest comes after an intensive investigation conducted in partnership with PANT, YCSO and the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office.
The investigation revealed Dearmon was allegedly running a large-scale illegal drug business out of his home located in the 400 block of West Angus Drive in Camp Verde.
During the search of the residence on Feb. 2, investigators found 8.9 Pounds of mescaline, 427 live peyote cacti, 83 marijuana plants, 29 pounds of dry peyote, 59 pounds of processed marijuana, 5 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, and 7 LSD tabs. There were many other substances found inside the residence and detectives are working on identifying those substances.
Adam Dearmon alleged possessed 427 live peyote cacti, which are classified as Schedule I drugs under federal law.
Under Arizona’s new Proposition 207, people can possess up to one ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to six plants. Lysergic acid diethylamide aka LSD, peyote, mescaline and psilocybin mushrooms are all Schedule 1 illegal drugs under federal law.
Dearmon’s operation included having packages of Mescaline shipped from Peru to his home.
Investigators learned the suspect may have started a Native American church to justify selling psychedelic drugs.
“Individuals exploiting sacred Native American rituals to illegally sell massive amounts of psychedelics and other drugs in our community will be held accountable,” Sheriff David Rhodes said. “I’m proud that we could partner with multiple agencies to help arrest Dearmon and keep our community safe.”
“I would like to personally commend the incredible investigative work conducted by PANT and the other participating agencies. The successful outcome of these cases has a huge impact on the safety of our community,” Camp Verde Marshal Corey Rowley said. “The positive teamwork and relationship we have with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office shows in these types of cases. Our officers and support staff who participated in this search warrant can be proud of the success in making Camp Verde a safer place.”
Dearmon was booked into the Yavapai County Detention Center in Camp Verde on charges of possession of dangerous drugs for sale (mescaline and mushrooms), possession of dangerous drugs (LSD), cultivating marijuana, possession of peyote for sale, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In addition, 48-year-old Tiffany Michelle Smith, who lives with Dearmon, faces similar charges for being involved in the operation.
Dearmon and Smith were released Feb. 3 on a $10,000 bond each.
On his Facebook page on Feb 10, Dearmon posted a link to the story from YCSO and the statement “I love Each Of You so much.❤️I could Use your Support. This is not True!!!!”
Dearmon also uses the names “Adam Yellowbird,” “Adam DeArmon” and “Yellowbird DeArmon” and lists himself as the “executive producer/founder of International Center of Spiritual and Ancestral Wisdom” with a mailing address in Cornville.
According to the ICSAW website, he founded the “Institute of Cultural Awareness” in 2009, is “ambassador for International Center for Cultural Studies,” “foreign ambassador and minister for All Nations Native American Church” and founded the “Earth Dance8 International Multicultural Gathering” which has held events on U.S. Forest Service land and private land in the Verde Valley.
Floyd Hand Jr., an Oglala delegate on the treaty council, and Ivan H. Lewis, a member of the Pima, Maricopa and Yavapai tribes, filed suit in November 2009 against the federal government, the state of Arizona then-U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, then-Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and then-Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard for failure to uphold the “bad men” clause of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868.
The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed, but state authorities have been more active in protecting the rights of Sioux and Lakota from non-Natives using sweat lodge or “inikaga” rituals without permission from American Indian tribal representatives.
In September 2012, the Yavapai County Development Services Department ordered members of the All Nations Native American Church to cease holding “religious” sweat lodge ceremonies and to disassemble sweat lodge structures on the Cornville parcel Dearmon rented at the time.
Dearmon were both notified in writing by the Hopi Tribe 2009 to cease and desist advertising “Return of the Ancestors” Gathering at Hopi sacred sites, as was Dearmon’s associate, Ruben Saufkie Sr., a member of the Hopi Tribe.
Around the same time, Northern Arizona University formally notified Dearmon in writing that NAU would not allow his “Return of the Ancestors” Gathering on university property for which Dearmon had not asked permission.
UPDATE:
On May 2, 2022, Dearmon pleaded guilty to a Class 6 felony.
Dearmon was sentenced by to Yavapai Superior Court Judge Michael R. Bluff to
- 120 days in jail of a sentence, suspended, pursuant to standard supervised probation for three years which begins June 1, 2022.
- a $750 fine with a 78% surcharge
- and a $300 interstate compact fee because Dearmon left Arizona and reportedly has a been living in Willits, Mendocino County, Calif., according to the Yavapai Superior Court, after living in Nevada City, Calif, following release after his arrest.
- numerous other fines and surcharges
In the March 28, 2022, plea agreement, Dearmon acknowledged he was pleading guilty and that, if he violates his three-year supervised probation, he faces 120 days in jail:
On May 12, 10 days after Dearmon was sentenced pursuant to his plea agreement, through an intermediately, Abby Kojola, Dearmon posted an update on his online fundraising platform falsely claiming, “An update from Adam. His case has been dismissed and he is free”:
Dearmon’s was not dismissed. He was convicted and sentenced.
Dearmon later contacted Larson Newspapers via Facebook falsely alleging he had been exonerated and the case was concluded. However, this was false, and Dearmon admitted guilt in a plea agreement and was sentenced.
When this material was posted to the same Facebook story, Dearmon removed his misleading comments later in the day.
