A 50-year-old resident of Houston has been sentenced following his conviction for attempted possession with intent to distribute heroin and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury deliberated for eight hours after a four-day trial before convicting Mohammed “Alex” Ahmed Kassem on Feb. 27.
U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal has now ordered Kassem to serve 10 years and 1 month in federal prison, to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard arguments about the amount of drugs and money that Kassem transported. In handing down the sentence, the court recognized the unusual nature of the case, given Kassem’s reliance on public authority to excuse his conduct and his own testimony.
“The sentence reflects the serious nature of the crime by someone sworn to be a public servant,” said Hamdani. “Kassem was willing to use his badge for his own financial gain. This was an important statement to corrupt law enforcement that you will be prosecuted if you go outside the bounds of the law and abuse your position of trust.”
Kassem is a former investigator with the Waller County District Attorney’s Office. At the trial, the jury heard how he escorted sham heroin and cartel drug money across state lines. He drove from Louisiana to Houston and from Houston to San Antonio in his marked police vehicle on three separate occasions, for which he was paid $31,000.
During the trial, testimony further revealed that Kassem hid money in his bulletproof vest and disguised the sham heroin in an evidence bag to avoid detection.
Audio and video recordings of each transaction and related text messages were presented during the trial. The jury also reviewed bank records showing cash deposits made to Kassem’s personal account after each payment.
Kassem took the stand in his own defense, claiming he had the authority to commit these crimes. He also maintained that he received implicit approval from the Waller County DA to conduct undercover investigations as part of his role at the DA’s Office. However, the jury heard testimony from his former employer that refuted those statements. Ultimately, the jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty.
Kassem will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, to be determined in the near future.
The FBI investigated with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and Heather Winter prosecuted the case.
