An alleged Colorado drug dealer has been arrested after reportedly selling drugs to a 15-year-old boy. The teen fell to his death while under the influence of drugs, which prompted the investigation. Police say the teen wasn’t the only one who had purchased drugs from the man recently.
Now, the reported drug dealer faces charges on multiple counts, and investigators claim he had a large number of underage buyers. The alleged drug crimes only scratch the surface of the charges he’s facing.
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The man allegedly sold psychedelics to the teen.
Benjamin Harmon, 23, from Boulder, Colorado is currently in jail after a grand injury investigation into his alleged sale of drugs to minors, according to CBS News.
In June 2024, 15-year-old Ames August O’Neal was found dead under a construction crane after falling. The teen was found to be “experiencing strong hallucinogenic effects” of psilocybin mushrooms that he had purchased from Harmon three days before, the grand jury indictment read.
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Police used O'Neal's phone to catch Harmon.
Days after the teen’s death, police used his phone to set up another meeting with Harmon to arrest him. On August 7, Harmon was arrested in the same place where he sold O’Neal the drugs. According to the indictment, he admitted to detectives he was there to sell the drugs to someone he knew was underage.
Colorado was the second state to decriminalize the possession and medical use of psychedelic mushrooms for people ages 22 and older, in 2022. The drug is still illegal at a federal level, noted CBS News.
It turns out that O'Neal isn't the only teen Harmon was selling to.
After Harmon’s arrest, investigators gained access to the man’s Snapchat account. Once they did, they found evidence that he sold the drugs to O’Neal. But they also believe he was having conversations with 19 other teens across Boulder County to whom he sold mushrooms and marijuana. The use of marijuana is also legal for people 21 and older in Colorado. At the time, Harmon told investigators that selling drugs was his only source of income.
Police believe he 'exploited' children.
“The loved ones of the 15-year-old boy who was killed continue to suffer from a terrible and tragic loss,” District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement shared by The Colorado Sun in October. “The extensive investigation into his death has led the CU Police Department, Drug Task Force, and DA team to identify other kids being harmed and exploited through drug distribution conducted over a social media app. We are strongly committed to securing the right outcome in this case.”
Benjamin Harmon is facing many charges.
In addition to the sale of drugs, investigators also found evidence Harmon sexually assaulted one of the minors at gunpoint, while obtaining child sexual abuse materials from another.
Harmon now faces 40 charges, including 21 felonies for distributing drugs to minors, at times within 1,000 feet of a school, sexual assault on a child using force, and sexual exploitation of a child. He is held on a $2 million bond.
