San Rafael, CA – Many people on probation are made aware that their social media accounts, cell phones and computers are subject to search at any time by law enforcement officers. Last week in Marin County, that fact must have slipped the mind of one probationer, and the result was the largest seizure of illegal drugs through the monitoring of social media in Marin County Probation Department history.
Marijuana, Ecstasy and psilocybin mushrooms were among the items found in the probationer’s vehicle.A 24-year-old man from Novato, on probation for drug trafficking charges, bragged on Facebook about some continued drug activity. That caught the attention of Probation Officer Trevor Lilian on the same day it was posted. Lilian knew that the man was scheduled to visit the Marin County Civic Center for a regularly scheduled probation check two days later.
Upon arrival at the Marin County Civic Center, the man was detained and searched based on the suspected violation of his probation agreement. Car keys were obtained, and the vehicle was located on Civic Center Drive. Based on the man’s probation conditions that allowed search and seizure, a search of vehicle took place.
Inside, officers found five pounds of marijuana, approximately a half-ounce of Ecstasy, a pound of psilocybin mushrooms, a digital scale, small plastic baggies, three cell phones and nearly $2,000 in currency. The estimated street value of the narcotics was more than $15,000.
The Coordination of Probation Enforcement (COPE) task force was contacted to assist with the investigation as the probationer was booked into Marin County Jail. He faces new felony charges of drug sales in addition to probation violations. His bail was set at $100,000.
Probation Chief Mike Daly said monitoring probationers on social media is critical to ensuring compliance with probation conditions.
“When an individual is placed on supervised probation, especially for narcotics-related offenses, we will be supervising that person comprehensively utilizing all options electronically, access to a canine, global positioning systems and certainly by way of social media,” Daly said. “Our office provides plenty of opportunity for legitimate employment as well. The choice is there.”
The Probation Department prides itself on offering a balance between public safety, offender accountability, rehabilitative services, and restorative practices. Learn more about the role of the Probation Department on the County’s website or on its own Facebook page.