HOUSTON — Mohammed Ahmed Kassem, 49, a former investigator with the Waller County District Attorney’s Office, has been convicted of money laundering and intent to distribute heroin, the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed this week.
Kassem was accused of using his position to hide drug money and heroin in his bulletproof vest and an evidence bag. He facilitated the transport of cartel drug money and heroin across state lines on three separate occasions, traveling from Houston to Louisiana and San Antonio in an unmarked police car. During these trips, he received a total of $31,000 in payments for his actions.
U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani stated, “Kassem breached the most sacred of trusts — the trust a community places in its law enforcement.”
Kassem attempted to justify his actions during the trial by claiming he had permission from the Waller County District Attorney’s Office to conduct undercover investigations. However, his former employer refuted this claim.
Kassem is scheduled for sentencing on June 13. He faces a potential life sentence for the heroin trafficking conviction, up to 20 years for money laundering, and fines as high as $10 million.
Kassem was previously indicted in 2021, and the Waller County District Attorney’s Office has since begun reviewing cases involving him to ensure their integrity.