Atlanta man whose sentence Biden commuted faces drug charge
Walter Lee Muhammad. Courtesy of U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia
ATLANTA - An Atlanta man whose federal fentanyl trafficking sentence was commuted by former President Joe Biden in 2024 is back behind bars, accused of trafficking drugs again.
What we know:
Walter Lee Rajai Muhammad, 46, appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday on a new federal charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The arrest came after an investigation stretching from Atlanta to North Carolina that authorities say resulted in the seizure of large quantities of suspected cocaine, fentanyl and heroin.
The new case comes less than two years after Biden commuted Muhammad's previous 10-year federal prison sentence for fentanyl trafficking.
Investigation begins in Atlanta
What they're saying:
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, DEA agents conducting a drug investigation in Atlanta on Aug. 5 saw Muhammad loading several bags of suspected drugs into a BMW.
Courtesy of U.S. District Attorney, Northern District, Georgia
Agents followed the vehicle from Atlanta to Greensboro, North Carolina, where the Guilford County Sheriff's Office conducted a traffic stop.
Authorities said a K-9 alerted deputies to possible narcotics inside the BMW. A subsequent search allegedly uncovered approximately 29 kilograms of suspected cocaine.
Muhammad was arrested.
The Guilford County Sheriff's Office separately announced that Muhammad and 28-year-old Tysean Duran Carter were arrested as part of a multiagency narcotics investigation. Both face numerous state charges, including trafficking cocaine and fentanyl.
Searches lead investigators back to Atlanta
The investigation continued in Georgia the following day.
Federal agents searched Muhammad's Midtown Atlanta apartment, where authorities say they seized approximately 2 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and 7 kilograms of suspected heroin.
Agents also searched another property belonging to Muhammad in southwest Atlanta. Authorities said they recovered three firearms there, including a stolen pistol.
A federal criminal complaint was filed Aug. 7 in the Northern District of Georgia charging Muhammad with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Previous fentanyl sentence commuted by Biden
The backstory:
Muhammad's criminal history includes multiple federal drug trafficking convictions dating back more than two decades.
Federal prosecutors said he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 1999 and conspiracy to distribute marijuana in 2010.
In February 2020, Muhammad was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Then, on Dec. 12, 2024, Biden commuted Muhammad's sentence as part of a clemency action involving nearly 1,500 people serving federal sentences.
At the time, the White House said those receiving commutations had been placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and had successfully reintegrated into their families and communities.
Now, federal prosecutors say Muhammad is accused of returning to drug trafficking.
"Muhammad is a serial drug trafficker who – despite receiving the extraordinary gift of presidential clemency – continued to deal lethal fentanyl and other dangerous drugs," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said.
Muhammad remains in custody
What's next:
Muhammad is being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service while the federal case moves forward. He is expected to appear in the Northern District of Georgia at a later date.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Sandy Springs Police Department, Guilford County Sheriff's Office and Greensboro Police Department.
Muhammad also faces multiple state drug charges in North Carolina.
The federal charge is an allegation. Muhammad is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.