Local medicine man James Warren "Flaming Eagle" Mooney was out walking his dog Thursday morning when agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration approached him with an arrest warrant. James Mooney and his wife, Linda, were arrested near their Spanish Fork home on 16 combined drug charges involving possession and distribution of peyote. Each of the charges carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Nicholas Stark, an Ogden man with ties to Oklevueha EarthWalks Native America Church, which the Mooneys founded in 1997, was also named in the federal indictment. In the indictment, which was filed June 15 but sealed until Thursday morning, Stark was charged for distribution and possession of peyote and for possession of coca leaves. [continues 620 words]
James and Linda Mooney, the Spanish Fork couple arrested on a combined 16 federal felony drug charges for using peyote in religious ceremonies, pleaded not guilty to all of the charges Friday in Salt Lake City. Federal prosecutors told U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam Alba that the Mooneys should be held without bail until the case is resolved. Citing the complexity of the case and the need for more information before deciding if the Mooneys should be held without bail, Alba set a detention hearing for Tuesday. [continues 583 words]
When Spanish explorers first stepped onto America's soil, several tribes in northern Mexico had already used peyote for a dozen generations. Today, peyote grows chiefly in northern Mexico and south Texas. The plant is a small, woolly cactus shaped like a button and is traditionally consumed either in tea made from dried buttons or by swallowing the buttons. Along with causing its user to become violently ill, peyote eventually results in a feeling of intense well-being and produces a number of other psychological effects, including hallucinations and richly colored visions. [continues 681 words]
A nightmarish childhood experience moved James Warren "Flaming Eagle" Mooney to take up one of the oldest jobs in North American history. Once charged with a dozen felonies for giving peyote to 'non-Native Americans' in religious ceremonies, Mooney's legal battle culminated in a landmark court ruling that protected him from prosecution in Utah courts. But Mooney's legal troubles are not over. The latest swords to hang over him are a brewing federal criminal case and a bill that could change Utah's drug law to forbid peyote use by non-American Indians. [continues 4173 words]
