Heroin Hustler: Chicago Worker Peddled Death Online

SEATTLE, WA – A Chicago man with a twisted irony – working at a drug treatment center while simultaneously pushing poison online – pleaded guilty today to distributing controlled substances. KEVIN C. CAMPBELL, 47, admitted in U.S. District Court to using the dark web to sell heroin and prescription drugs like Xanax and valium, a scheme that tragically culminated in a fatal overdose.

The case, a chilling example of the dark web’s deadly reach, centers around the death of Jordan Mettee, 27, of Bellevue, Washington. In August 2013, emergency crews found Mettee unconscious in his bedroom, a computer screen glowing with messages from a vendor later identified as CAMPBELL. Mettee had consumed the prescription drugs and heroin purchased through the now-defunct ‘Silk Road’ online black market. The investigation quickly revealed CAMPBELL wasn’t just a vendor; he was actively shipping drugs across the country, concealed within altered DVD cases, and accepting payment in bitcoin.

“This case is an outrage and a tragedy at the same time,” declared U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “What allowed this defendant to work at a drug treatment center with people in the grips of addiction, and at the same time peddle dangerous drugs across the country via the dark web? The heroin this defendant sold killed one of his customers. At sentencing we will ask the Court for a sentence that reflects that fact.” A fingerprint belonging to CAMPBELL was discovered on a DVD case recovered near Mettee’s body, directly linking him to the deadly shipment.

CAMPBELL didn’t stop with Silk Road’s demise. He continued to operate, even sending Xanax pills to a customer in Colorado who was, unbeknownst to him, cooperating with law enforcement. In May 2014, federal agents raided CAMPBELL’s Chicago home, uncovering evidence of his operation: residual drugs, digital scales, meticulous notes, a stockpile of empty DVD cases, and shipping materials – the tools of a callous trade.

Prosecutors have a plea agreement allowing them to request up to ten years in prison for CAMPBELL when he faces U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on May 9, 2017. The government intends to argue for a maximum sentence, citing the direct link between CAMPBELL’s actions and Mettee’s death. This wasn’t just drug dealing; it was a calculated risk with a fatal outcome.

The investigation was a collaborative effort led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bellevue Police Department, and the Eastside Narcotics Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Steven Masada is prosecuting the case, aiming to hold CAMPBELL accountable for his duplicity and the devastation he wrought. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing.