“Guilty Plea Imminent” in “GoodDopeUSA” Case

A once-convicted darkweb vendor will soon be pleading guilty to selling methamphetamine through another darkweb vendor account, according to the defendant’s attorney.

Christopher Harris, also known as Christopher Harris-Edmundson, faces one count of narcotics conspiracy in the Southern District of New York. At a status conference held before United States District Court Judge Analisa Torres, Harris’ attorney said that “the guilty plea is imminent.”

In August 2019, Harris was convicted in Virginia of selling Schedule I or II narcotics in connection with the operation of the darkweb vendor account “GoodDopeUSA.” Through the account, Harris sold methamphetamine and heroin. A judge sentenced Harris to five years’ probation.

According to a criminal complaint accusing Harris of narcotics conspiracy in the Southern District of New York, Harris has been selling methamphetamine on the darkweb from November 2020 through November 2021. This time, the complaint alleges, Harris created a vendor account with the username “KeepTheDopeAlive.”

An investigation into darkweb vendors led by Homeland Security Investigations resulted in the identification of Harris as the party responsible for the operation of the KeepTheDopeAlive account.

On August 12, 2021, an undercover law enforcement officer (LEO) placed an online order for 28 grams of methamphetamine from KeepTheDopeAlive on an undisclosed darkweb marketplace. The undercover LEO paid $462.50 and provided the vendor with an address in New York, New York.

On August 20, law enforcement officers received and opened the package sent by KeepTheDopeAlive. They identified a bubble envelope, inside of which was a mylar bag. The mylar bag contained 32.7 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine.

Law enforcement personnel at the Homeland Security Investigations Forensic Laboratory processed the received package for fingerprints. They recovered a fingerprint from the adhesive side of the tape on the box. The fingerprint matched the fingerprint on file for Harris in a law enforcement database of fingerprint records.

In November 2021, an undercover LEO conducted a controlled delivery from KeepTheDopeAlive for two ounces of methamphetamine. When the package arrived at the LEO-controlled address in New York, investigators noted the sender of the package was listed as “Starboy Collectables” in Commerce, California. The package contained 58 grams of methamphetamine.

Later in November, law enforcement officers conducted physical surveillance of Harris at his apartment and business in Los Angeles, California. Harris lived in an apartment building above an undisclosed smoke shop where Harris worked. According to the California Secretary of State, the smoke shop’s mailing address is Harris’ apartment address.

Investigators observed Harris leaving the smoke shop carrying a bag of USPS Flat Rate Priority boxes. Law enforcement officers followed Harris to a UPS store where they observed him “applying clear tape, with bare hands, to the seams of numerous small flat rate priority boxes.” Harris then placed the packages on a cart designated for USPS mail drop-offs.

After Harris left the UPS store, law enforcement officers examined the packages Harris had left on the cart. The sender address listed on each of the sixteen packages was “Starboy Collectables” at the same address in Commerce, California, as a package from one of the undercover purchases.

Police arrested Harris in December 2021. An indictment accused Harris of narcotics conspiracy and possession of a weapon in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy.

complaint pdf

indictment pdf