California man pleads guilty to Mid-Missouri meth conspiracy

A California man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Mid-Missouri.

Shadeed Seifullah Muhammad, 42, of Compton, California, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Muhammad conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine from April 4, 2016, to April 4, 2017, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

Muhammad mailed a package from the state of California on April 4, 2016, to a residence in Columbia. The package was intended for another co-conspirator in Jefferson City. The package was being transported by that co-conspirator, who was en route to Jefferson City, when officers made a traffic stop.

The package was seized and sent to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Laboratory, and it was determined that the substance contained approximately 810 grams of pure methamphetamine. The co-conspirator pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on May 14, 2018, and is awaiting sentencing.

Muhammad mailed another package March 30, 2017, to a residence in Jefferson City. It was intercepted by law enforcement and sent to the USPIS Laboratory, where it was determined that the substance contained approximately 856 grams of pure methamphetamine.

Muhammad is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole and up to life in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.