A California man was sentenced on May 18 to 15 years in prison in the Southern District of Alabama for conspiracy to commit money laundering and providing false testimony in court.
The sentencing addresses efforts by law enforcement agencies to disrupt financial operations that support illegal drug trafficking. Authorities say targeting these networks is essential for reducing the profits from illicit drug sales and protecting the integrity of the U.S. financial system.
“The defendant helped launder millions of dollars for a drug trafficking organization to conceal drug sale proceeds,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dismantling criminal organizations is a critical priority for the Department. Alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and our local law enforcement partners, we will continue to prosecute the financial networks that fuel illegal drug trade and profit from the sale of illicit substances.”
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello for the Southern District of Alabama said, “For years, Adi and his coconspirators used a sophisticated web of corporations and bank accounts to launder millions of dollars’ worth of profits from illegal drug sales in the Mobile area. Working alongside our dedicated federal, state, and local partners, we will continue to pursue and dismantle drug networks that abuse the U.S. financial system.” Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of DEA New Orleans Field Division added, “This individual not only used sophisticated financial webs to conceal and profit from illegal drug trafficking, but he also chose to lie under oath to protect his criminal enterprise… This sentence sends a clear message: …we will absolutely not tolerate attempts to obstruct justice and deceive the courts.”
According to court documents, Mohammed Zohair Adi, age 58—a dual citizen of Syria and United States—helped launder millions through corporate entities tied to a group transporting over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana from California into Alabama using commercial flights with couriers. He structured transactions through various bank accounts both for promoting ongoing trafficking activity as well as maintaining real estate properties in California used as grow sites.
Adi pleaded guilty on Jan. 30, 2023, then later provided false testimony at a detention hearing regarding contact with co-defendant Navjit Bhullar while under pretrial release conditions forbidding such communication about case matters; he also misled DEA investigators about these contacts before pleading guilty again on March 2, 2026.
In addition to prison time, Adi received a $50,000 fine plus three years supervised release after serving his sentence; ten other co-defendants have already been sentenced while Bhullar awaits sentencing June 29.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama prosecutes federal crimes—including those involving complex conspiracies—and works closely with federal agencies such as DEA according to its official website. The office serves as chief federal law enforcement authority within its district boundaries through collaboration with state/local partners while representing government interests during civil or criminal proceedings.
