Thursday, May 20, 2010

KNOXVILLE, Tenn– Hazam Ali Ahmed, 36, of Knoxville, Tennessee, plead guilty today in United States District Court, Knoxville, Tennessee, to three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). These charges were included in an indictment returned against Ahmed by a federal grand jury on November 17, 2009. Ahmed faces a maximum of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release for each of these counts.

Additionally, Ahmed plead guilty today to a 16-count information charging him with two counts of conspiracy to transport, possess and distribute contraband cigarettes; six counts of knowingly receiving, transporting, possessing and distributing contraband cigarettes; three counts of knowingly receiving, possessing, and selling counterfeited tax stamps, which are part of interstate commerce; two counts of knowingly transporting in interstate commerce stolen goods valued at $5000 or more; and three counts of money laundering by conducting a financial transaction involving proceeds of a specified unlawful activity. Maximum penalties for these crimes are outlined in the attached table.

The guilty plea by Ahmed today was the result of a long-term undercover investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Sentencing has been set for September 2, 2010, in United States District Court, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Theodore and Will Mackie represented the United States.

(Attachment )