Somerset County man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for drug trafficking, firearms offenses
SOMERSET, N.J. (Somerset County) — A Somerset County man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses after authorities found narcotics and six firearms in his vehicle during a 2021 arrest, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Malachi A. Muhammad, 51, of Somerset, was sentenced June 9 to 300 months in prison after previously being convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin, and cocaine; possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and unlawful possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
Muhammad was convicted on April 11, 2025, following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in federal court in Trenton. Judge Castner imposed the sentence on June 9 and also ordered three years of supervised release following his prison term.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lawrence Township police responded on Aug. 19, 2021, to reports of a vehicle stopped in the middle of Route 1 near Quaker Bridge Mall.
Officers found Muhammad, the sole occupant of the vehicle, initially unresponsive and believed he may have been asleep or experiencing a medical emergency.
After waking him, officers observed the handle of a handgun between his legs. Police secured the loaded firearm, removed Muhammad from the vehicle and placed him under arrest.
Authorities said a subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered 91 methamphetamine pills, 468 wax folds containing fentanyl and heroin, five bags of cocaine, five additional firearms — including two semiautomatic rifles — and more than 150 rounds of ammunition.
Federal prosecutors said the firearms were possessed in furtherance of Muhammad’s drug trafficking activities.
