STUART, Fla. — A former State Senate candidate was arrested on felony drug charges Tuesday night in Martin County.
Aaron Hawkins, 26, of Stuart faces charges of selling and possessing psilocybin, a mind-altering narcotic.
Hawkins, a Democrat, recently ran against and lost to incumbent Republican state Sen. Gayle Harrell in the Nov. 5 election for District 31.
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Martin County Sheriff's Office, the investigation into Hawkins first started on Dec. 28, 2023.
The report said on this date a confidential informant told them that Hawkins sold marijuana and psilocybin mushroom bars in the Stuart area.
At the direction of the investigator, the CI contacted Hawkins via Snapchat and asked for "shrooms," street terminology for psilocybin mushrooms.
The affidavit said Hawkins replied, "Yeah, I have the chocolates."
The CI and Hawkins agreed on a price and location to meet in Stuart, the report said.
WATCH BELOW: Martin County Sheriff William Snyder discusses arrest
"The CI was given an amount of US Currency from the Martin County Sheriff's Office Investigative funds for the illegal narcotics transaction," the affidavit said.
After arriving at the meeting place, the report said they spotted a vehicle that matched a Jeep registered to Hawkins arrive at the scene.
"Hawkins exited his vehicle and walked to the CI's passenger window. After the illegal transaction, the CI left the area," the arrest report said.
The investigator said the CI later turned over a chocolate bar with the flavor "Cookies and Cream" printed on the box. The chocolate bar tested positive for psilocybin and was placed into evidence, the report said.
Second Case
Then on Jan. 29, 2024, the report said investigators once again spoke to a CI who told them that Hawkins sold marijuana and psilocybin mushroom bars in the area.
The report said at the direction of the investigator, the CI contacted Hawkins via Snapchat and asked for "a bar" — which is street terminology for psilocybin mushrooms.
The CI and Hawkins agreed on a price and location to meet in Stuart, the report said.
"The CI was given an amount of US Currency from the Martin County Sheriff's Office Investigative funds for the illegal narcotics transaction," the affidavit said.
After arriving at the meeting place, the report said they spotted a vehicle that matched the Jeep registered to Hawkins arrive at the scene.
"The CI entered the vehicle and after the illegal transaction, the CI left the area," the report said. "The CI traveled directly back to our meeting location without making any stops ... handed me a chocolate bar, which was consistent with what the CI ordered."
The report said this chocolate bar also tested positive for psilocybin and was placed into evidence.
On Tuesday, Nov. 19 Hawkins was stopped in his Jeep, arrested and taken to the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said Wednesday they waited months to arrest Hawkins because the CI was "active and involved in multiple other cases."
Snyder also said during the investigation, they were unaware that Hawkins was running for State Senate.
"Ironically, the detective became aware that (Hawkins) was a politician when he went into the ballot box to vote and saw (Hawkins') name," Snyder said.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice's website, psilocybin has a "high potential for abuse and serve(s) no legitimate medical purpose in the United States."
