EPD asks public for help locating man with nationwide warrant

from the Eugene Police Department

The EPD Street Crimes Unit is asking the public to help locate Joe Anthony Harker, 38, of Eugene. He is believed to be in the Eugene area with his wife, Shayla Kaylawray Bennett, 28. She has been renting hotel rooms in the area, with both she and Harker staying in them. 

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact SCU Officer Joshua Sundquist by text or phone at 541-868-5096.  Information received will be treated as confidential.

Harker was a suspect in multiple large SCU operations in 2022, including fentanyl drug dealing and child neglect cases and was arrested in May 2022 for several felony narcotic charges.

SCU conducted a follow-up investigation after developing information that Harker was continuing to distribute narcotics in Eugene. Due to Harker’s transitory behaviors and illicit financial resources, Harker was difficult to put at one location for more than a few days at a time.

EPD SCU subsequently located Harker, and applied for and was granted a search warrant for Harker’s local hotel room and associated vehicles. On Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, Harker was observed leaving the hotel room on foot and was subsequently taken into custody without incident in a less populated area away from the hotel.

Upon entry into the hotel room, EPD SCU found evidence consistent with narcotics distribution and seized more than $6,000 in U.S. currency, suspected heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder, as well as soft body armor.

Eugene Springfield Fire medics were staged throughout the duration of evidence handling and packaging to protect employees.

Seized during the search warrant:

• Heroin – more than 10 grams total package weight
• Methamphetamine – more than 269 grams total package weight
• White powder fentanyl – 457 grams total package weight (a little over one pound)
• Blue powder fentanyl – 197 grams total package weight (a little under seven ounces)
• Purple powder fentanyl – 181 grams total package weight (a little over six ounces)
• Blue counterfeit Oxy 30 fentanyl (8,500 estimate count) pills – 966 grams total package weight (a little over two pounds).

The estimated wholesale value of the seized narcotics, excluding the methamphetamine is about $70,000. The low-end street value based on current trends is approximately $210,000. The average counterfeit pill contains .02 to 5.1 milligrams. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered lethal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance and past usage.

According to Lane County Circuit Court records, Harker failed to appear for an Oct. 12 hearing and pre-trial conference. On Nov. 8, a Lane County Circuit Court grand jury indicted him on 30 counts.

The current National Crime Information Center warrant has him listed for Unlawful Delivery Controlled Substance – Heroin, Unlawful Possession Controlled Substance – Heroin, Delivery of a Schedule II Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance Schedule II, Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of Body Armor, Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance – Cocaine, and Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance – Cocaine. 

EPD’s Street Crimes Unit works in concert with communities to help solve issues. The unit focuses on prolific offenders, who are identified through intelligence-based policing, public tips, and other sources. They proactively respond across the city to quality of life issues as they arise, using all available resources and partners such as community groups, neighborhood associations, and city services.

SCU is dedicated to targeting immediate and acute community safety system issues while working toward mission-critical enhancements that need to be addressed through a longer-term and broader community safety initiative.

The unit currently consists of a lieutenant, a sergeant, and five officers, including one officer with a drug detection K-9.