3 days ago
Colorado man pleads guilty to distributing mushrooms after teenager's deadly fall from construction crane
A Colorado man has pleaded guilty to his role in connection with a 15-year-old's death after a deadly fall from a construction crane in Boulder last year. Benjamin Harmon pleaded guilty on Friday to two counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor- schedule I or II, sexual exploitation of a child, and criminal attempt to commit money laundering.
Investigators said the 15-year-old fell from the crane at a construction site at the University of Colorado Boulder campus on June 20, 2024 while "experiencing strong hallucinogenic effects" of psilocybin mushrooms purchased from Harmon three days earlier, according to a grand jury indictment against Harmon. The teenager fell "from an extreme height," as stated in the indictment. The Boulder County Coroner's Office found amounts of Psilocin, the compound in many psychedelic mushrooms which produces mind-altering effects, in the teen's blood.
According to the Boulder District Attorney's Office, the Grand Jury investigation confirmed that Harmon distributed psilocybin to the teen. The investigation also revealed additional victims, 19 of them children, to whom Harmon had distributed drugs. The district attorney said one of those victims was sexually assaulted by Harmon, and from another victim, Harmon had obtained sexual abuse materials.
All of the victims were high school students in Boulder County.
Harmon was arrested Oct. 19, 2024 after he was indicted by a Grand Jury.
"The CU Boulder Police Department would like to thank the Boulder County District Attorney's Office for its rigorous pursuit of justice in this case," said CUPD Chief Ashley Griffin in a statement. "CUPD is committed to protecting our campus and surrounding community, and we will continue working tirelessly with our partners to ensure that those who exploit and harm others are held fully accountable."
On Friday, a judge sentenced Harmon to 35 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, "The teenager who died was loved by his family and friends. He had his whole life in front of him, until the defendant began preying upon him and other high school kids. Although this guilty plea and sentence is what the family wanted from the criminal case, the outcome will never fill the void caused by this defendant. I want to thank the law enforcement and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to advance this investigation. But for their efforts, this criminal prosecution would never have happened; it would have been classified as a tragic fall. Because of them, the true nature and depth of the defendant's conduct was discovered and he was brought to justice."
