U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced that a Houston man and peace officer received his sentencing after being convicted of attempted possession with intent to distribute heroin and money laundering. Mohammed "Alex" Ahmed Kassem, 50, will serve 121 months in a federal prison.
According to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) press release, Kassem was convicted during a jury trial on February 27. On August 9, U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal handed down Kassem’s sentence. His prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release. The judge took into consideration the defendant’s reliance on public authority to excuse his conduct and his own testimony.
The press release states that Kassem is a former investigator with the Waller County District Attorney’s Office. During the trial, the jury was shown how the defendant escorted sham heroin and cartel drug money across state lines. The prosecution explained how he was paid $31,000 to drive from Louisiana to Houston and Houston to San Antonio in his marked police vehicle on three separate occasions. Testimony further showed that he hid money in his bulletproof vest and placed the sham heroin in an evidence bag.
"The sentence reflects the serious nature of the crime by someone sworn to be a public servant," Hamdani said in the press release. "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."
