(Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – A 16-year-old Grand Island male is being charged as an adult with six felonies in a drug case.
Juan Guzman, 16, of 523 N. Custer was charged Jan. 16 in Hall County Court with two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and forfeiture of property for Jan. 16 incidents involving marijuana and psilocybin. He was also charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He is charged with possession of money in violation of drug statutes. Also, he is charged with possession of a deadly weapon in commission of a felony and unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited juvenile offender.
An arrest warrant for Guzman was issued Jan. 16 and returned Jan. 20. Hall County Judge Alfred Corey set Guzman’s bond at $125,000 on Jan. 20, and Guzman posted bond Jan. 20.
Guzman’s preliminary hearing will be at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 19.
According to a Grand Island Police Department affidavit in support of an arrest warrant:
On Aug. 25, 2025, a school resource officer at Walnut Middle School found a student to be in possession of a THC vape device. The student reported buying the item from a person named “Juan” on Snapchat. The student provided “Juan’s” username and showed the officer the Snapchat account.
A search warrant for the Snapchat account in “Juan’s” name was drafted on Oct. 15, 2025. Requested data from Snapchat was returned on Nov. 3. The officer located the IP address associated with the account which led to an associated phone number. The officer used a law enforcement paid search engine and found that the phone number belonged to Guzman’s mother.
A subpoena was issued to Charter Communications regarding the IP address on Dec. 29. The IP address was associated with Guzman’s mother at 523 N. Custer.
The police officer reviewed the contents of the Snapchat account. Videos and images of Guzman were found on the account. Messages referred to the account owner as “Juan.”
Hundreds of messages, images, and photos of the THC vape device, marijuana, and psilocybin mushroom sales were located. “Juan” used a cell phone to photograph and take videos of his product. “Juan” then used Snapchat as an advertising platform to let people know he had drugs for sale.
A search warrant for 523 N. Custer Ave. was drafted on Jan. 16. :Police executed the search warrant at 11:25 a.m. Jan. 16. Officers located a large quantity of marijuana, psilocybin, and THC vape devices. A large quantity of cash was located next to a digital scale. An AR-15 style rifle was located.
The home is located within 1,000 feet of a playground at Custer Avenue/Faidley Avenue. A police officer noted that Guzman had been adjudicated for a felony charge on Jan. 5, 2024, making him prohibited from possessing a firearm.
