PITTSBURGH, PA — Abdulrahman Abdelaziz Jamea, a 26-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, has been found guilty of orchestrating a daring string of pharmacy robberies across Pennsylvania. The federal jury in Pittsburgh delivered its decision on March 21, 2024, after mulling over the evidence for roughly two and a half hours, marking the end of a high-profile trial that has captivated the state.
Jamea faced a litany of charges, including conspiracy to commit armed pharmacy robbery, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, three counts of armed pharmacy robbery, and two counts of pharmacy robbery. The case was presided over by United States Senior District Judge Arthur J. Schwab, who is now tasked with sentencing the convicted felon on July 31, 2024.
Over the course of the four-day trial, 19 witnesses took the stand, painting a vivid picture of Jamea’s criminal exploits between September 2018 and July 2019. The jury was riveted as tales unfolded of Jamea and his band of co-conspirators targeting pharmacies in Beaver, Bridgeville, Edinboro, Erie, and Pittsburgh’s Oakland area. Their modus operandi? Brandishing firearms to terrify pharmacists and technicians into surrendering highly addictive opioids and stimulants from locked safes.
But Jamea didn’t stop at theft. The court heard how he then peddled these stolen narcotics on the streets of Columbus, Ohio, fueling the opioid crisis and putting countless lives at risk.
With the most serious offense carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years behind bars, along with a possible fine of up to $250,000, Jamea’s future looks bleak. His sentencing will take into account the gravity of his crimes and his previous brushes with the law, including a current sentence of more than 40 years for multiple counts of felonious assault with a firearm in Ohio state court.
The conviction of Jamea is the culmination of a sprawling investigation involving an alphabet soup of law enforcement agencies, from the Drug Enforcement Administration to local police departments across Pennsylvania and the Ohio Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorneys Barbara K. Doolittle and Michael R. Ball spearheaded the prosecution, delivering a blow to organized crime and sending a strong message to would-be criminals.
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