Feds: Rival drug dealer allegedly tracked Independence homicide victim with GPS device

Federal prosecutors have charged an alleged drug dealer with using a GPS device to track another man who was fatally shot on March 14 in Independence.

Lester Brown, 30, of Kansas City, allegedly employed the GPS device "with the intent to commit a crime of violence" as part of a conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Brown allegedly had a long-standing feud with the homicide victim, Christopher A. Harris Jr., according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City.

Harris, also 30, was shot to death outside a residence in the 16600 block of East 28th Place. His 8-year-old daughter witnessed her father's death, prosecutors said.

Harris was also the victim of a drive-by shooting in 2011, which was allegedly orchestrated by Brown, prosecutors said in court filings.

Both men were allegedly involved in distributing large amounts of high-grade marijuana, and Brown was allegedly upset that Harris and his associates would not include him in their business.

According to the federal court documents, another man allegedly involved in the marijuana distribution was killed after being kidnapped from a Kansas City barber shop.

Ryan Cobbins, 25, was found dead inside a vacant house in the 3500 block of Flora Avenue.

According to the allegations against Brown, sources told investigators that he may have also used a GPS device to track Cobbins before he was killed.

After Harris was killed, police found the GPS device attached to his car.

They checked with the device manufacturer in New York and found that the account for its user was "LesterBROWN87." Brown was born in 1987.

A witness who knew Harris told police that Harris and Brown had a confrontation a few weeks before the homicide. Harris told her that he told Brown that he wanted to pay somebody to have him killed.

After Harris was killed, investigators found this post on Brown's Facebook page:

"Money and Pride came between me and Chris gaining our friendship all the way back, but the last convo we had I felt the apology was sincere. I forgave him. Life is too short, stop holding grudges before you regret not being able to spend yo last days wit the people you close to."

Brown is currently in custody and prosecutors are seeking to have him held without bond.

This story was originally published March 23, 2018 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Feds: Rival drug dealer allegedly tracked Independence homicide victim with GPS device."