Date: 03-24-2017

Case Style:

Case Number: 5:15-cr-00602-RCL

Judge: Royce C. Lambreth

Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (Bexar County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Mark Roomberg and Jay Hulings

Defendant's Attorney: Bernard Campion and Charles Campion

Description: San Antonio, TX - Plano Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Synthetic Marijuana Case

Irfan Abdul Ghaffar, age 58, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a synthetic marijuana distribution scheme.

On January 4, 2017, Ghaffar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substance analogues. By pleading guilty, Ghaffar admitted that from March 2013 to June 2013, he managed the affairs of the Jaffer Drug Trafficking Organization (Jaffer DTO) in Dallas, including the illegal storage, distribution and sale of various kinds of synthetic cannabinoids. The San Antonio-based Jaffer DTO, led by Muhammad Jaffer Ali, was responsible for the production and distribution of synthetic marijuana and bath salts in San Antonio, Houston, Austin, and Dallas as well as Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Kansas City. During the course of the enterprise, the Jaffer DTO manufactured, caused to be manufactured, attempted to manufacture, distributed and possessed with intent to distribute over 40,000 pounds (or 18,500 kilograms) of synthetic cannabinoids.

On December 12, 2016, Muhammad Jaffer Ali pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substance analogues. He is scheduled for sentencing in San Antonio on Tuesday at 4:00pm before Senior United States District Judge Royce C. Lamberth.

This prosecution resulted from the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration together with the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, Austin, San Antonio and New Braunfels Police Departments, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Attorney General’s Office, Travis County District Attorney’s Office, Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, Williamson County Constables Office-Precinct 2, Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, Live Oak Police Department and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations also assisted with today’s arrests.

Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to seven years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

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