Three residents from the St. Louis area admitted on April 9 to selling fentanyl and other drugs through social media, including substances that led to one fatal overdose and another nonfatal overdose.
Aeman Ali, age 23, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to aiding and abetting the maintenance of a drug-involved premises. Zaki Salman, also 23 and from Hazelwood, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy charges related to distributing controlled substances, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury. Haeder Jameel, age 23 as well, entered his plea in March for similar conspiracy charges along with possession with intent to distribute MDMA and fentanyl.
According to court documents, Salman rented a home on Ohio Street in St. Louis that served as the base for drug sales between August 20 and December 14 of 2022. Both Salman and Jameel purchased drugs from California; Salman then advertised them on social media platforms while directing sales operations. The group sold both legitimate Percocet pain pills as well as counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. If Salman was not available during transactions, either Jameel or Ali would complete the sale.
During a search of the residence authorized by the court on December 14, authorities recovered cocaine, MDMA (also known as ecstasy), fentanyl, amphetamine, and prescription pills at the property. Prosecutors said that Salman delivered drugs on September 18 of that year to a minor who believed she was purchasing Percocet; she overdosed but survived after receiving multiple doses of Narcan. In another incident cited by prosecutors, fentanyl bought at the same address resulted in an adult man's death due to overdose on November 19.
Ali is scheduled for sentencing July 28; Salman's sentencing is set for May 18; Jameel will be sentenced June 18. Each charge carries up to twenty years imprisonment if convicted.
The case was investigated by several agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations unit (HSI), local police departments from St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department through O’Fallon Police Department along with regional task forces.
The U.S Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri investigates federal crimes such as terrorism or fraud while enforcing civil rights protections according to its official website. The office works with law enforcement partners across its jurisdiction—which includes forty-nine counties—to prevent crime and improve quality of life as reported by its official website. It operates under guidance from the United States Department of Justice according to its official website.
