Three St. Louis Area Residents Admit Selling Fentanyl, Other Drugs Via Social Media

ST. LOUIS - Three St. Louis area residents have admitted selling fentanyl and other drugs via social media, including drugs that caused one fatal and one nonfatal overdose.

Aeman Ali, 23, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday to aiding and abetting the maintaining of a drug-involved premises.

Zaki Salman, 23, of Hazelwood, pleaded guilty in February to one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, maintaining a drug-involved premises and distribution of fentanyl with a serious bodily injury resulting.

Haeder Jameel, 23, pleaded guilty in March to one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, maintaining a drug-involved premises and possession with the intent to distribute MDMA and fentanyl.

According to the plea agreements, Salman rented a home in the 4400 block of Ohio Street in St. Louis that was used for selling drugs from August 20, 2022, through Dec. 14, 2022. Salman and Jameel bought drugs in California, the plea agreements say. Salman advertised the drugs on social media and would "direct" the drugs sales, his plea says. The men sold real Percocet pain pills and fake pills that contained fentanyl. When Salman was not present, Jameel or Ali would handle the transactions. When law enforcement officers conducted a court-approved search of the home on Dec. 14, 2022, they recovered cocaine, MDMA, fentanyl, amphetamine and prescription pills.

Salman and Jameel admitted that Salman delivered drugs to a minor on Sept. 18, 2022, who believed she was buying the prescription drug Percocet. The minor overdosed but was saved by multiple doses of Narcan. Salman and Jameel also admitted that the fentanyl purchased by a man at the Ohio Street residence on Nov. 19, 2022, resulted in the man's overdose death.

Ali is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, Salman on May 18 and Jameel on June 18. Each count carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Florissant Police Department, the O'Fallon, Missouri Police Department and the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.