Feds charge former L.A. nonprofit worker with possessing fentanyl, meth near MacArthur Park
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A man who once worked for a nonprofit organization that offers services to homeless people was arrested Thursday on a federal drug charge.Federal authorities accuse Christopher Barret Johnson, 42, of possessing fentanyl when police pulled him over while he drove a BMW near MacArthur Park earlier this month.Johnson, a Culver City resident, is charged in a criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.Court records did not list a lawyer for Johnson.According to the U.S.
attorney’s office in L.A., Johnson was affiliated with People Assisting the Homeless, a nationwide nonprofit group that does street outreach, offering people interim and permanent housing.Tyler Renner, PATH’s media director, said in a statement that Johnson’s employment with the organization ended last year, on Sept.
16.“As an organization dedicated to ending homelessness and protecting vulnerable communities, PATH is outraged and deeply disturbed that an individual would falsely represent themselves as a current employee,” Renner said.Renner added that “any employee who does not abide by our code of conduct, or who is found to be participating in unethical or illegal activity, can no longer be employed by our statewide organization.”According to Renner, PATH does not have any current contracts or services covering the MacArthur Park area.The last services provided in that area were outreach services, which he said ended in June 2024.The organization also rebutted the U.S.
Attorney’s office’s claim that PATH also serves as a vendor distributing syringes, including in MacArthur Park, saying that claim is false.“PATH’s services are trauma-informed and our teams work diligently to connect individuals with substance use treatment, mental health care, and physical health services that support long-term stability and self-sufficiency,” Renner said.Los Angeles police offic...