Sacramento Man Charged with Fentanyl Offense

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Assadulla Mohammed Khaliqdad, 26, of Sacramento, charging him with possessing fentanyl for distribution and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers responded to Khaliqdad’s residence based on a report of shots fired. In Khaliqdad’s bedroom, officers found thousands of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, a loaded 9 mm handgun, and over $28,000 in cash.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Khaliqdad faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison on the fentanyl charge and a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.