Employee of needle-distributing nonprofit allegedly caught selling fentanyl near LA park

A California man who works for a taxpayer-funded nonprofit that distributes needles to drug users in Los Angeles' notorious MacArthur Park was busted for allegedly attempting to sell fentanyl, authorities said.

Christopher Johnson was arrested on May 5 after he was found with methamphetamine, fentanyl, empty baggies, a large amount of cash, and a scale in his BMW during a traffic stop conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department near the park.

When questioned about the drugs, Johnson said they belonged to a female named "Red" and that he takes care of the drugs for her. He also told officers that he works for People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), a California-based nonprofit focused on ending homelessness.

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Johnson now faces a federal charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

The group was founded in 1983 and has expanded its operations to more than 150 cities, court documents state. The services it offers include street outreach, housing navigation, interim housing, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing to help people transition from the streets to stable homes, federal prosecutors said.

PATH also participates in "harm reduction" service programs and serves as a vendor in distributing syringes, including in the MacArthur Park area, according to a federal complaint.

The park, which sits in Los Angeles' Westlake neighborhood, has been plagued by high rates of poverty, drug use and gang activity for decades.

"Many of the residents and visitors in the area are drug users, and MacArthur Park is a known location to purchase user-quantities of drugs, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, in open-air markets," court documents state.

Earlier this month, federal agents swarmed the park as part of a sweeping operation targeting an infamous open-air drug market notorious for peddling fentanyl and methamphetamine. 

The sting, dubbed "Operation Free MacArthur Park," led to at least 18 arrests and more than $10 million worth of fentanyl seized in a massive joint effort between local and federal authorities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

PATH’s 2025 financial report on its website states that it receives 94% of its funding from federal and local governments.

In 2025, it identified $63 million in salaries and had $10.4 million in cash. Fox News Digital has reached out to PATH and the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors for comment.