Drug Dealer Busted by Online Package Tracking

By Christopher Coble, Esq. on December 22, 2015 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

'Tis the season for furiously clicking that "Track Package" button in sales confirmation emails. Whether you're worried about outgoing gifts making it to their destination on time or excited about an incoming present, tracking a package online can become a daily or even hourly obsession.

And it can get you arrested, if you happen to be tracking a package full of drugs from China.

Track Your Order

Harold Bates was doing just that, and it led federal investigators right to his door. Ars Technica tracked down a judge's order from Bates's case, and it's a doozy:

In October 2013, U.S. Postal Service (USPS) investigators opened a package in Hollywood, Florida that contained 500 grams of a "white crystal-like substance" that turned out to be the synthetic stimulant methylone. Investigators determined that a computer with an IP address registered to the Rockland, Massachusetts home of Harold Bates was tracking the parcel's whereabouts, and USPS notifications about the parcel's progress from Hong Kong, where it originated, had been sent to Bates's e-mail account. Moreover, they learned that Bates had tracked as many as five other USPS Express Mail packages sent from Hong Kong and China over the previous two months.

Track Your Charges

Bates was arrested in 2013 and pleaded guilty to importing methylone, or "Molly," in 2015. In the meantime, law enforcement says Bates continued to try and import drugs and even smuggle them into the jail where he was confined.

Federal prosecutors say Bates "proceeded to change his email and Skype passwords in order to prevent law enforcement from monitoring any future communications he might have with his Chinese suppliers," and just a few weeks after his initial arrest Bates used a false name to retrieve yet another package from China. When Bates was indicted on drug charges and turned himself in, he allegedly tried to "smuggle drugs into the correctional facility where he was to be detained."

Don't import drugs from China, kids. And if you do, maybe be careful about how you track those imported drugs. Finally, if you find yourself in Mr. Bates's position, you should probably contact a criminal defense attorney.

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard