Salt Lake City, UT — James Musa Gama, 39, is charged with two counts of distributing the synthetic cannabinoid known as spice and two counts of possessing a firearm during drug trafficking crimes. A federal grand jury returned the four-count indictment as part of the ongoing Operation Rio Grande crackdown targeting open-air drug markets in the city’s Pioneer Park area.
Gama was first apprehended on December 12, 2017, after an undercover agent was led to him by an intermediary in Pioneer Park. The agent purchased one jar of spice for $40. Moments later, agents arrested Gama and found five additional jars of the substance on his person, along with the $40 bill used in the transaction. Forensic testing confirmed the substance as FUM-AMB, a Schedule 1 synthetic cannabinoid. A loaded handgun, previously reported stolen, was also found in Gama’s waistband.
During questioning, Gama admitted to selling three or four jars of spice daily. He claimed he carried the firearm for protection after being shot and robbed a year prior, stating he paid $300 for the weapon. The admission painted a picture of a street-level dealer operating in one of Salt Lake City’s most volatile zones, where narcotics and violence frequently intersect.
A second incident on January 31, 2018, sealed Gama’s federal charges. Agents encountered him again in Pioneer Park alongside two associates, R.S. and M.G. During that encounter, agents purchased four more jars of suspected spice. Gama was arrested once more, and another handgun was recovered from his waistband. He told investigators he had bought the firearm about a week earlier for protection and had purchased the spice that same day to sell at the park.
The indictment carries severe penalties. Each of the two spice distribution counts allows for up to 20 years in prison. The first firearm count mandates a minimum five-year sentence. The second firearm count carries a 25-year mandatory minimum, with sentences required to run consecutively to any term imposed for the drug charges. Gama remains in custody following a ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge Brooke C. Wells, who deemed him a danger to the community.
The case is being investigated by agents with the Utah Department of Public Safety and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. U.S. Attorney John W. Huber and Public Safety Commissioner Keith Squires announced the indictment Monday. Gama is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. in federal court. As with all federal defendants, Gama is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Utah
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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