LASD’s Shut-Down, Homeless Enterprise PCP and Meth Street-Biz Tent
Photo: Homeless Enterprise
VENICE – Sheriff Alex Villanueva recently described an odd unveiling near Venice Beach. “This is another clear example of how several people are using the veil of outreach to run criminal enterprises and exploit the already marginalized,” he declared.
It appeared innocent enough – Garry Featherstone (11/23/55), a self-proclaimed homeless advocate, has operated “Homeless Enterprise” from a tent on 3rd Avenue, selling sodas, candy, and other snacks and beverages to the local homeless population. “Homeless Enterprise” is registered with the city of Los Angeles Finance Department.
However, it was soon discovered that Featherstone had masqueraded as a homeless outreach advocate. He’d been supplying homeless individuals with narcotics.
As Investigators conducted countless hours of surveillance of Featherstone, they witnessed several completed hand-to-hand narcotics transactions. And, this was in close proximity to the “Venice Bridge Home,” a transitional housing location near his base of operations.
After receiving information of a potential narcotics dealer disguising himself as a homeless outreach advocate, Narcotics Bureau investigators executed a search warrant on 07/22/2021 at a tent near Rose Street and 3rd Avenue. On that same afternoon, they conducted service at a Venice-area residence, and arrested the phony purveyor for possession of Phencyclidine (PCP) for sale;11378.5 HS and Possession of Methamphetamine for sale;11378.1 HS.
Over 15,000 dollars in U.S. currency was also recovered.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, “It’s time for common-sense compassionate regulation of public space. It’s time for politicians to stop using the homeless population as a platform and for them to either help law enforcement keep the community safe or get out of the way.”
