Abdul G. Alsamah, Conspiracy to Distribute Synthetic Cannabinoids, Illinois 2021

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In a major blow to the synthetic cannabinoid trade, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Abdul G. Alsamah, 51, formerly of Springfield, Ill., for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.

According to the evidence presented during the four-day trial, Alsamah conspired with his co-defendant, Letha Dean, to distribute synthetic cannabinoids, also known as K2 or spice, between November 2014 and March 2016. The illicit substances were distributed from Alsamah’s liquor store, Crossing Two, and a connected business, Mystic Enchantments, both located in Springfield.

The Crossing Two, a liquor store run by Alsamah, and Mystic Enchantments, both in Springfield, were used as distribution points for the synthetic cannabinoids. These substances are classified as Schedule I controlled substances, making them highly addictive and potentially deadly.

Alsamah was taken into custody after the verdict and remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22, 2021, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield, where he faces a statutory penalty of up to twenty years in prison.

This conviction is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) task force investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Springfield Division, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Division; the Springfield Police Department; the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department; the Illinois Department of Revenue; the Illinois Secretary of State; and the Illinois State Police.

Eight other defendants have been convicted and sentenced in related cases: Mohammed Ali Saleh, Hamoud Hazam, Noman Hizam, Abdulrhamm Saleh, Abdu Saleh Mohamed, Walid Alanasawi, Jamal Nasir, and Ahmed Alkohshi. Two other defendants, Mohanad Al-Matarneh and Letha Dean, have been convicted but have not yet been sentenced.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy A. Bass and Tanner K. Jacobs represented the federal government at trial. OCDETF is a law enforcement program that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

The investigation and prosecution of Alsamah’s case demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement agencies to combat the illicit synthetic cannabinoid trade and protect the citizens of Illinois.

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