A man who once worked for a nonprofit that provides services to the homeless was arrested Thursday on drug charges.
Authorities suspect Christopher Barret Johnson, 42, of being in possession of fentanyl when police pulled him over while driving a BMW near MacArthur Park earlier this month.
Johnson, a Culver City resident, was charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Court records did not list an attorney for Johnson.
According to the US attorney’s office in LA, Johnson was working with People Assisting the Homeless, a nationwide non-profit group that gets people off the streets, providing temporary and permanent housing.
Tyler Renner, PATH’s media director, said in a statement that Johnson’s employment with the organization ended last year, on September 16.
“As an organization dedicated to ending homelessness and protecting vulnerable communities, PATH is outraged and deeply disturbed that someone would falsely present themselves as a current employee,” Renner said.
Renner added that “any employee who does not follow our code of conduct, or is found to be involved in unethical or illegal activities, will no longer be eligible for employment by our national organization.”
According to Renner, PATH has no current contracts or services covering the MacArthur Park area. The last services provided in that area through outreach services, he said, ended in June 2024.
The agency also rejected a claim by the US Attorney’s office that PATH also serves as a distributor of syringes, including in MacArthur Park, calling that claim false.
“PATH services are trauma-informed and our teams work tirelessly to connect people who use substance abuse, mental health care, and physical health services that support long-term stability and satisfaction,” said Renner.
Los Angeles police were patrolling the park around 10:20 p.m. on May 5 when Johnson swerved in front of them, according to an affidavit filed in the complaint.
The officers stopped a BMW that did not have a license plate, according to the affidavit. Authorities said Johnson was the only resident there and “appeared to be very nervous.”
According to the affidavit, the officer saw a plastic bag containing methamphetamine in the center console of the car and saw two knives in Johnson’s waistband.
After ordering Johnson out of the car, authorities said, investigating officers found a bag of meth in Johnson’s left pocket. After searching the BMW, police found a backpack that contained multiple bags of meth and fentanyl, as well as cash and a digital scale that contained traces of fentanyl, according to the affidavit.
Police also found a dish soap container with additional plastic bags containing fentanyl, court records show. The BMW’s center console also contained cash and several purses, authorities said.
Authorities said lab analysis confirmed the seized drugs included at least 142 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and approximately 46 grams of meth.
According to the affidavit, when the police questioned Johnson, he admitted that there were drugs in his car, but said that it belonged to a woman who used the moniker “Red,” and said that she was holding them for safekeeping.
If convicted, Johnson faces up to five years in prison and up to 40 years in prison.
MacArthur Park has been the focus of local and federal law enforcement in recent months.
First Assistant US Atty. Bill Essayli posted a photo of Johnson’s business card to X, identifying him as a substance abuse specialist.
“For a long time, residents and businesses in MacArthur Park and elsewhere have complained about the wisdom of distributing injections to homeless drug addicts where law-abiding citizens live and work,” Essayli told X. “They call these policies ‘harm reduction.’ I consider myself ‘self-destructive.’ Giving addicted drug users needles to shoot meth and fentanyl is never a good idea. “
Proponents of harm reduction work point to research that has shown providing clean needles and other supplies can significantly reduce the spread of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.
Earlier this month, authorities arrested more than a dozen people as part of a sweep targeting what authorities called an “open drug market.” In March, authorities arrested several members and associates of the 18th Street gang on charges of murder, racketeering and drug trafficking.
