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Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization in Utah Sentenced to Life in Prison

October 15, 2020

This morning, the leader of a multi-million dollar drug trafficking organization in Utah was sentenced to life in prison.

Aaron Shamo was previously convicted in 2019 for organizing and directing a drug trafficking organization that imported fentanyl from China to manufacture fake oxycodone pills and counterfeit Xanax tablets out of his home in Utah. Shamo and his co-conspirators shipped hundreds of thousands of these counterfeit drugs across the nation under the name Pharma-Master on the dark web until his arrest in 2016.

“In 2016, Shamo sold one million Fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills to unsuspecting buyers in every state in the union,” Attorney General Sean D. Reyes said. “While the total harm he caused can never be measured, at least ninety of his known customers have died from overdoses. The Court’s sentence today—life imprisonment—brings justice to the families of his deceased customers and everyone else affected by his crimes. The Attorney General’s Office extends its deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased, recognizing that not even a just sentence can restore what was lost. We remain fully engaged in our effort to combat the opioid epidemic by aggressively investigating and prosecuting drug dealers who prey on the addicted.”

Read the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Utah here.

Drug and Prostitution Ring Busted by Utah Attorney General’s SECURE Strike Force and SLC Police

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2020

DRUG AND PROSTITUTION RING BUSTED BY UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL’S SECURE STRIKE FORCE AND SLC POLICE
Salt Lake City Motel Was Known for Illegal Activity

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Attorney General’s Office, working jointly with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Units, has charged the owner and manager of the City Inn Motel (935 North 1000 West in Salt Lake City) with multiple felonies in a case involving drug activity, money laundering and prostitution.   
 
Motel owner Rezvan Saisani has been charged with Money Laundering, Exploiting Prostitution, and Pattern of Unlawful Activity. Sameer Syed, who helped manage the City Inn Motel, was also charged in the same case. Charges were filed Tuesday afternoon following an extensive investigation that took place after receiving complaints from neighbors in the area. View the charging documents here
 
Investigators organized various surveillance and undercover operations at the motel over the past month. Investigators found evidence that Saisani and Syed were not only aware of the prostitution and drug trafficking at their business but actively encouraged such activity in order to benefit financially.
 
Investigators learned Saisani and Syed would collect “visitor fees” from those who visited the motel, including for commercial sex or drug purchases. Undercover agents posed as commercial sex purchasers to see how Saisani and Syed would respond. Each time, Saisani and Syed collected visitor fees from the undercover agents, even when agents made it very obvious that they were only visiting the motel for illegal purposes. During one exchange, Saisani directed an undercover agent to the north side of the motel because the “better girls” were located there.
 
“The owners and operators of illicit ‘no-tell motels’ enable crimes like human trafficking and fuel the market for commercial sex,” said Attorney General Sean Reyes. “These businesses are tough to investigate and prosecute because it takes an enormous effort to link the criminal activity on the ground to the person at the top collecting money. We know there are a lot of these businesses out there and hope this case will serve as a model for law enforcement agencies to stop similar operations throughout the state.”
 
Reports of human trafficking and related crimes can be made to the Utah Trafficking in Persons Tip Line at 801-200-3443.  

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AG Reyes Statement on Aaron Shamo Conviction

August 29, 2019

Following the announcement of the conviction of Aaron Shamo, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes released the following statement:

“We may never know the full extent of the lives lost or the families harmed by Aaron Shamo’s deadly enterprise as a global drug dealer.

“Shamo callously profited from trafficking dangerous doses of Fentanyl to vulnerable people caught in the clutches of addiction.

“This case highlights the devastating effects of trafficking illicit Fentanyl, an often overlooked but deadly aspect of the opioid crisis. 

“Shamo’s conviction today is a significant victory in the ongoing war on illegal opioids in our state and nation. Utahans owe a debt of gratitude to all involved in taking down this predator.

“We thank DEA Supervisory Agent Brian Besser and his fellow agents who put their lives in danger to investigate this case and eliminate a clear and present danger.

“We also commend US Attorney John Huber, Special AUSA Michael Gadd and the joint prosecution team of the US Attorney, Kent Burggraaf from the Utah Attorney General’s Office, the FDA, Homeland Security, IRS-Criminal Investigation and Postal Inspectors.

“To further protect our families from the Aaron Shamos of the world, we need to have real and honest dialogues about addiction as a public health crisis.

“In those discussions, we must eliminate shame and judgment. This will allow more prevention in some cases and in others, more treatment and recovery resources to those trapped in the deadly cycle of addiction.”

AG Office in Action

November 9, 2018

Protect the people of Utah. 

This is a big deal for the Utah Attorney General’s Office and one of its core functions. Domestic abuse, human and drug trafficking, sexual assault, crimes against children – the list of crimes that destroy our families and neighborhoods goes on and on. No matter what it is, our team of investigators and prosecutors work hard to remove from our communities those who would seek to take advantage or do us harm. 

Here’s a highlight of the last several weeks looking at the Office in action. 

Attorneygeneral.gov: Utah registered nurse convicted of sexual assault

KSL: Alleged big play in Utah drug trafficking charged

Standard Examiner: Nurse’s aide charged with abusing vulnerable adults appears in court

Gephardt Daily: Task force arrest Layton man for crimes against children

Daily Herald: Investigators say Lehi man created, sold fake green cards

Gephardt Daily: Smugglers arrested in Utah with 2.33 pounds of contraband after multi-agency operation

The Herald Journal: Logan man pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah nurse charged with beating a 2-year-old foster child to death

Deseret News: Salt Lake police officer arrested in child pornography investigation

Fox13Now: Salt Lake City officer arrested in child porn investigation

KSL.com: Charges filed against police office in child pornography case

Standard-Examiner: Salt Lake City police officer, Syracuse man in jail for allegedly possessing child porn

Thanks for paying attention!

Three-month investigation uncovers identity theft and drug crimes

Update: 
NPR KPCW reported on how these men were able to steal these identities were stolen and how to keep this from happening to you. 
You can read or listen to their coverage here: AG’s Office Explains How Men Were Able To Steal Identities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2018


UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES SEVERAL FELONY ARRESTS
Suspects charged with identity theft, drug dealing, and more

SALT LAKE CITY – Today, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes announced the arrest of four suspects, charged with a total of seventeen felonies and one class A misdemeanor, by the AG’s SECURE Strikeforce concluding a three-month long investigation in partnership with several state agencies.

On Wednesday, two search warrants were simultaneously served in Summit County and Wasatch County by investigators from multiple jurisdictions. “Those arrested were involved with identity theft, possessing fraudulent government documents, and had a pattern of unlawful behavior with dealing several types of controlled substances,” said Police Chief Leo Lucey with the Utah Attorney General’s Office.

During the operation, officials seized a total of seventeen fraudulent government documents along with methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. 

The Utah Attorney General’s Office partnered with several agencies in the operation including Park City PD, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Heber City PD, Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, Back-Net Task Force, Ogden PD, Orem PD, Bountiful PD, DPS, Davis County Sheriff’s Office, HSI, and ICE/ERO. 

The mandate of the SECURE Strikeforce is to investigate major felony crimes involving identity theft, fraudulent documents, and human trafficking.

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NOTES:

  1. For booking documents, please visit: RodrigoFranciscoJuan PabloPedro.
  2. For more information on SECURE, please visit the following: https://attorneygeneral.utah.gov/secure-task-force/.