Man Charged After Minneapolis Fentanyl, Meth Bust
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A 32-year-old man is facing multiple first-degree drug and firearm charges after a search of a Minneapolis residence earlier this month.
Police say they uncovered large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine along with multiple guns.
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Abdilah Abdilkadir Sheikh-Mursal is charged with five counts of first-degree drug possession and two counts of possessing firearms while prohibited due to prior violent crime convictions, according to a criminal complaint.
The charges stem from a Jan. 16 search warrant executed by Bloomington police at a home on the 3000 block of James Avenue North in Minneapolis. Officers detained two adult men and an adult woman inside the residence. Investigators say Sheikh-Mursal lived in a basement bedroom where the bulk of the evidence was found.
According to the complaint, officers recovered two handguns from the bedroom along with nearly 2.5 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, including packages weighing 417.53 grams, 368.53 grams, 197.15 grams and 84.51 grams. Police also seized 1,359.74 grams, or just under 3 pounds of blue pills stamped “M30,” suspected of being counterfeit pills including fentanyl. Packaging materials and court paperwork bearing Sheikh-Mursal’s name were also found in the room.
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Investigators reported finding an additional firearm and a signal-jamming device in a basement furnace room. In a detached garage, officers located another firearm and about 47 pounds of khat, a plant containing cathinone, a Schedule I controlled substance.
Prosecutors allege Sheikh-Mursal is legally barred from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for terroristic threats and third-degree drug sale. Two of the firearm counts carry mandatory minimum prison sentences of five years if convicted.
Each first-degree drug charge carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison and fines ranging from $300,000 to $1 million. The firearm counts each carry a maximum possible sentence of 15 years in prison.
A judge ordered Sheikh-Mursal held on $1 million bail, citing the extreme quantities of drugs seized, the number of firearms recovered and the presence of a signal jammer, court records show. The case remains pending in Hennepin County District Court.
