UH Professor Convicted in Relation to Massive Synthetic Narcotics Case
2016-12-21 · Press release
Summary: A 37-year-old resident of Sugar Land has entered a guilty plea to aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business
HOUSTON – A 37-year-old resident of Sugar Land has entered a guilty plea to aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Law enforcement identified Omar Al Nasser during a multi-year, multi-agency federal investigation into one of the largest synthetic cannabinoid trafficking enterprises in the country. The investigation revealed Al Nasser was as an associate of one of the primary distributors of synthetic cannabinoids in the Southern District of Texas. As part of his plea today, Al Nasser admitted he was paid to wire more than $200,000 in U.S. currency from a bank in the United States to accounts in the country of Jordan.
Al Nasser has a doctoral degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance which he earned from the University of Texas-Pan America in 2009. He is listed as an associate professor of finance in the University of Houston system.
U.S. District Judge Gray Miller accepted the guilty plea and set sentencing for Feb. 16, 2017. At that time, Al Nasser faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Conroe Police Department, sheriff’s offices in Harris and Polk counties, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Jocher and Nancy Herrera are prosecuting the case.
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- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/uh-professor-convicted-relation-massive-synthetic-narcotics-case
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| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2538 | Omar Al Nasser | defendant | associate professor of finance | University of Houston system | Houston, Texas | 37 | pleaded guilty | |
| 2539 | Kenneth Magidson | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Houston, Texas | |||
| 2540 | Gray Miller | judge | U.S. District Judge | U.S. District Court | Houston, Texas | |||
| 2541 | John Jocher | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Houston, Texas | |||
| 2542 | Nancy Herrera | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Houston, Texas |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1605 | Houston Police Department | HPD | investigation | conducted the investigation |
| charge_id | charge_description | statute | severity | max_penalty | fine_amount | defendant | status | participant_id | cl_docket_id | count_num | is_1960 | verified_1960 | source | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1324 | aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business | five years in prison | $250,000 | Omar Al Nasser | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 | ||||||
| 3391 | unlicensed money transmitting business, announced U | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1303 | fine | $250,000 | USD | Maximum possible fine | cash | Omar Al Nasser | possible |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 414 |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2663 | A 37-year-old resident of Sugar Land has entered a guilty plea to aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business | Kenneth Magidson | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Department of Justice | statement | Announcing the guilty plea | Introduces the case and the defendant's plea |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1825 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting | Al Nasser admitted to wiring over $200,000 from the U.S. to Jordan as part of an unlicensed money transmitting business. | Facilitated the financial operations of the synthetic cannabinoid trafficking enterprise. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | International | Multi-year investigation | Law enforcement, Financial institutions, DOJ |
| 1826 | Synthetic Cannabinoid Trafficking | Al Nasser was an associate of primary distributors in the Southern District of Texas, part of one of the largest synthetic cannabinoid trafficking enterprises in the country. | Central to the drug trafficking operation leading to charges against him. | 21 U.S.C. § 846 | National | Historical trend | Law enforcement, DOJ, Victims |
| 1827 | Abuse of Professional Expertise | Al Nasser, a finance professor with a doctoral degree, used his professional knowledge to facilitate illegal money transfers. | Highlights misuse of academic and professional credentials in criminal activities. | Local | Academic institutions, University of Houston | ||
| 1828 | Multi-Agency Federal Investigation | A coordinated effort involving DEA, Houston Police, ATF, IRS, and others over multiple years. | Demonstrates the necessity of collaborative law enforcement for complex cases. | National | Multi-year investigation | Law enforcement agencies, DOJ, Prosecutors | |
| 1829 | International Financial Transactions | Funds were transferred from the U.S. to Jordan as part of the money laundering scheme. | Indicates transnational aspects requiring international cooperation. | International | Law enforcement, Financial institutions |
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