Man charged in drug-induced homicide compared strength of heroin to Mike Tyson in text, prosecutors say

A drug dealer accused of selling heroin to a man who later overdosed texted the victim that the product he had sold him was so strong that it would knock him out “like Mike Tyson in his prime,” Cook County prosecutors said Tuesday.

That text message and several others led to 30-year-old Christopher Paulus being charged in the drug-induced homicide of Joshua Bloomfield, who died in the spring of 2019 at his Edgewater apartment.

Bloomfield, 29, and Paulus met in a drug rehabilitation program a few years ago, prosecutors said.

An assistant public defender said Paulus was Bloomfield’s “best friend,” and that he would never have intentionally sold him a fatal dose.

The day before he died, Bloomfield celebrated his birthday at his mother’s home in northwest suburban Cary and had not appeared to be under the influence.

But before he died on May 28, 2019, phone records between Bloomfield and Paulus show the pair exchanged messages, with Bloomfield asking Paulus to come over and hang out, prosecutors said. Bloomfield, who was trying to finish college, also allegedly made plans with Paulus to purchase the drugs in the texts.

Bloomfield’s husband, who found him dead in the 5500 block of North Winthrop Ave., told police that Bloomfield had also overdosed in February that year after buying drugs from Paulus. Bloomfield’s husband gave investigators screenshots of messages Paulus sent him at that time, including texts that read, “I’m sorry please forgive me” and “I told him to be careful.”

Earlier this year, Bloomfield’s mother told the Chicago Sun-Times the drug-induced homicide law “should be enforced.”

“Refer to it as drug poisoning and not drug overdose,” Sylvia Schaefer said. “My son didn’t kill himself. He wasn’t suicidal. He had great plans on the horizon.”

Bloomfield died from toxicity from alcohol and a cocktail of drugs, including heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine and clonazepam, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office

Paulus, who struggles with addiction, is at a greater risk for contracting COVID-19 because of a heart condition he has resulting from a bacterial infection tied to his drug use, the assistant public defender told Judge Arthur Wesley Willis Tuesday.

The judge, who said he was particularly concerned about the text message comparing the heroin’s strength to boxing champion Tyson, ordered Paulus held on $2 million bail for Bloomfield’s death.

But because Paulus has an arrest warrant from Maryland, he will be held without bail at Cook County Jail.

Paulus’ is expected back in court July 6.