Nathan Harnor: Sydney drug dealer blames addiction on Joe Rogan podcast
A dad-of-two became embroiled in a dark web operation — which saw him deliver drugs across Sydney on a skatebboard. A court has also heard how his drug addiction developed after listening to the hugely popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
Southern Courier
Don't miss out on the headlines from Southern Courier. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A stay-at-home dad who got hooked on magic mushrooms after listening to the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast joined a dark web drug syndicate to fuel his addiction, a court has heard.
Nathan James Harnor, 45, from Tempe, narrowly avoided being sent to prison after being sentenced last week for serious drug supply charges.
Police arrested him in June 2017 alleging he was the kingpin behind a dark web marketplace.
However, a judge has found he wasn’t the kingpin, known online as “AussieJay”.
The marketplace, run by AussieJay, sold cocaine, MDMA and other drugs on the dark web in exchange for Bitcoin before posting the drugs in the mail.
“Between March and June 2017, Australian Federal Police officers used online identities to purchase prohibited drugs from AussieJay,” the agreed facts stated.
That included buying 17g of cocaine and other drugs at a cost of about $7000.
The investigation lead police to Mr Harnor who was monitored delivering the drugs – often on his push bike or skateboard – to post offices around Sydney on multiple occasions.
Mr Harnor was eventually arrested and his home raided by police who found magic mushrooms, MDMA, hundreds or empty capsules and bags, $12,000 cash, and drug paraphernalia for packaging drugs.
The Crown prosecutor alleged that Mr Harnor was AussieJay, the kingpin behind the dark web operation during his sentencing at Downing Centre District Court last week.
However, his defence argued that was not possible.
His defence told the court he had struggled with depression and was a stay at home dad with two young children when the offending took place while his wife earned the family income.
His defence said he had heard about the popular Joe Rogan podcast which he turned to for guidance.
He said one of the podcasts talked about “microdosing” with psychedelic drugs such as magic mushrooms, which lead to Mr Harnor experimenting with the drug.
“When he took the drugs he felt better and when he did not he felt worse,” his defence said.
“He reached a point where he was unable to afford the drugs.”
His defence said he was offered work by AussieJay to package drugs and deliver them to post offices in exchange for psilocin (magic mushrooms).
He said he was simply a courier and was not AussieJay.
He explained that Mr Harnor did not have much money when he was arrested, evident from his relying on a skateboard or push bike to get to the post office and police finding an eviction notice at his home.
He said he would have been much better off financially if he was indeed AussieJay.
He added that there was no cocaine found in his home either despite it being prevalent on the dark web marketplace.
District Court judge Sharron Norton agreed with the defence and found he was not AussieJay, the kingpin behind the operation.
She said he was rather a “trusted member of the syndicate” who packaged and delivered the drugs.
“In light of all the evidence I cannot find beyond all reasonable doubt that the offender is Aussie Jay,” Judge Norton said.
“I accept he was paid by way of drugs and not money.”
After hearing from his brother earlier in the court proceedings, she also agreed that the money found at his home was not his but was his brother’s.
Mr Harnor, who is a New Zealand citizen, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three years to be served by way of intensive correction in the community, having previously pleaded guilty to three charges which included supply prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis.
He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of community service work, to engage with a mental health plan, to continue counselling, to abstain from drugs and not to access the dark web.
Mr Harnor spent four months in prison following his arrest before being released on bail.