Killeen Man Gets Probation After Drug Stash Including LSD and Psilocybin Bars Found in Apartment

A Months-Long Sting Ends at a Killeen Apartment Door

What began as a series of undercover drug buys by a confidential informant ended with officers uncovering a striking variety of controlled substances inside a Killeen, Texas apartment — and now, more than two years later, the man at the center of it all has been sentenced to probation rather than prison time.

Bell County's Organized Crime Unit investigated Jason Hawkins from February through April of 2024, when a confidential informant "made a series of controlled purchases of marijuana from (him)." After each sale, police watched Hawkins return to his apartment at a complex in the 4700 block of Cambridge Drive. It was a methodical investigation, building a paper trail before authorities moved in for the search.

What Officers Found Inside

On April 17, 2024, an OCU officer obtained a search warrant for Hawkins's residence and the vehicle from which he had conducted the sales. The next day, the same officer was surveilling the apartment when Hawkins drove away in a 2020 Hyundai Elantra covered by the warrant. Bell County sheriff's deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, while Bell County OCU executed the search warrant at the Cambridge Drive apartment.

During the search, officers recovered mushroom bars, approximately 448 grams of suspected THC vapes, 5.2 grams of suspected LSD, and 18.1 grams of a green, leafy substance believed to be marijuana. Officers also recovered a digital scale and $871 from the residence. The mushroom bars were later tested at the Texas Department of Public Safety and confirmed to contain psilocybin. The combination of substances — spanning cannabis, psychedelics, and hallucinogenic edibles — painted a picture of more than casual personal use.

The Legal Timeline: From Indictment to Probation

Jason Hawkins was indicted by a Bell County grand jury on April 30, 2025, but his name was not listed on the public report because he had not yet been arrested. Court records show that he was arrested the following month and posted a $75,000 bond. The gap between the 2024 raid and the 2025 indictment reflects the time it often takes for lab testing, case building, and grand jury proceedings to run their course.

Adding to the case against him, on April 19, 2024, an officer "listened to a jail call between Hawkins and a family member where (he) acknowledged ownership of the narcotics in the residence," according to the affidavit. That recorded admission proved to be a significant piece of evidence. Ultimately, Hawkins was placed on five years of deferred adjudication probation after pleading guilty in May to possession of a controlled substance. His case was heard in the 478th Judicial District Court.

Deferred Adjudication: What It Means Going Forward

Deferred adjudication is a legal arrangement that stops short of a formal conviction — but it comes with serious strings attached. Under Texas law, if Hawkins violates the terms of his probation at any point during the five-year period, a judge can impose the full range of punishment for the original charge. It is not a clean slate; it is a long leash with real consequences for any misstep.

The outcome will likely draw scrutiny from those who see a multi-substance drug operation warranting a stiffer penalty, while others may view probation as a practical and cost-effective alternative to incarceration for a non-violent offender. Either way, the Bell County OCU's patient, informant-driven approach to this case demonstrates how local organized crime units are increasingly targeting mid-level drug distribution — not just street-level possession. Whether Hawkins successfully completes his five-year probation term will ultimately determine how this chapter closes.