C.O. Drug Enforcement Team arrests Bend man accused of trafficking fentanyl at China Hat Road homeless camps

(Update: Adding video, comments from CODE Team Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp)

CODE Team 'prioritizing and focusing' on homeless camps; new state law toughens drug sentences

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 31-year-old Bend man who allegedly trafficked fentanyl at the homeless encampments on China Hat Road south of Bend was arrested during a traffic stop Monday evening, and large amounts of drugs and cash were seized, drug agents said.

The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) Team concluded its investigation with the the arrest of Harley Davidson Mann, Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp said.

"No, it's not new, unfortunately. It does go hand-in-hand with that lifestyle," Vander Kamp told us Tuesday.

Around 7:30 p.m. Monday, Mann's vehicle was stopped on China Hat Road near Sunset View Drive for traffic violations – an expired registration and driving with a suspended license – after a multi-day surveillance operation by CODE detectives, the sergeant said.

During the stop, CODE drug detection K-9 Bonnie was deployed and alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle.

Vander Kamp said Mann consented to a search of the car, and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies found and seized a commercial quantity of fake pharmaceutical tablets of fentanyl and separate packages of powdered fentanyl. Vander Kamp said he also possessed a commercial quantity of cocaine and nearly $1,000 in cash.

"That's where a majority of our drugs come from in Central Oregon, primarily from the Portland metropolitan area, or Southeast Portland, Gresham area" Vander Kamp told NewsChannel 21.

Vander Kamp couldn't confirm if Mann was staying at a particular camp off China Hat Road.

It's been referred to as the "Smurf Camp," because the blue-colored fentanyl pills allegedly being sold there.

"I am familiar with Smurf Camp. I'm not 100% sure Mr. Mann was residing in that Smurf Camp, but I am familiar with the nickname given to the camp, yes," Vander Kamp said.

We're told investigators have had their eye on the camp for weeks.

On Monday, a Deschutes County deputy with dedicated patrols in the area, Casey Karpstein, told NewsChannel 21 they planned a bust at the Smurf Camp soon: "But that's the Smurf Camp (pointing to it) -- that's what they identify it as."

"We have had other cases" involving drugs trafficked in the area, Vander Kamp said, "Some of them get publicized, some of them don't, depending on where we are in our investigation."

Mann was booked into the county jail on drug possession and attempted delivery charges for fentanyl and cocaine. Vander Kamp said CODE detectives were assisted by the sheriff’s deputy dedicated to patrols in the China Hat Road and Juniper Ridge areas.

"It just takes one dose of this fake counterfeit drug to kill you," the sergeant said. "They ask me, 'Hey, it's a great price!' I tell them with that great price comes great risk."

Mann was arraigned Tuesday afternoon on the district attorney's three initial charges – attempted fentanyl delivery, possession of “substantial quantities” of fentanyl and cocaine possession.

"The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team will continue prioritizing and focusing on drug traffickers, violent crimes, weapons offenses, and fugitives within the homeless encampments around the Central Oregon region," Vander Kamp said in a news release.

He also noted that in June, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2645, later signed by Governor Kotek. As a result, a “commercial quantity” is now defined by statute as five grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl or 25 or more user units (i.e. pills), or any substituted derivative of fentanyl, as defined by the rules of the Oregon Board of Pharmacy. 

"This is not a separate criminal charge, but rather an increase in the sentencing guidelines," Vander Kamp said. 

It is crucial to call 911 when someone is overdosing from opioids, the sergeant said. If naloxone or Narcan is used, the effects are temporary, and the person still needs immediate medical attention. After the medication wears off, the person could fall back into a coma. 

If you call 911 to get help for someone having a drug overdose, Oregon’s Good Samaritan Law protects you from being arrested or prosecuted for drug-related charges or parole/probation violations based on information provided to emergency responders, Vander Kamp said.