Former peace officer imprisoned for trafficking drugs and cartel money across state lines

HOUSTON – A 50-year-old resident of Houston has been sentenced following his conviction of attempted possession with intent to distribute heroin and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

A federal jury deliberated for eight hours following a four-day trial before convicting Mohammed “Alex” Ahmed Kassem Feb. 27.

U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal has now ordered Kassem to serve 121 months 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 Kassem’s 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 (DA) 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 Houston to San Antonio in his marked police vehicle on three separate occasions for which he was paid a total of $31,000.

At the time of the trial, testimony further revealed Kassem hid money in his bulletproof vest and disguised the sham heroin in an evidence bag to avoid detection.

During the trial, audio and video recordings were presented of each transaction and related text messages. The jury also saw bank records of cash deposits made to Kassem’s personal account after each payment.

Kassem took the stand in his own defense claiming he had authority to commit these crimes. Kassem 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 which refuted those statements. The jury ultimately 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 conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and Heather Winter prosecuted the case.