Lang
3/18/22
A former leader of the Iowa Freedom Riders awaiting trial relating to an Iowa City murder case has been arrested again…this time on drug charges.
Iowa City Police were initially called to 412 South Dodge Street at 7:15 Thursday night for a reported burglary. Arriving officers found 21-year-old Mazin Mohamedali of South Lucas Street at the scene.
Police say Mohamedali had an active warrant for his arrest. He allegedly resisted being taken into custody and tried to throw a baggie of marijuana from his person as he was being arrested.
Mohamedali allegedly claimed the marijuana belonged to somebody else and he was only going to be holding it for about five minutes. A pill for which Mohamedali does not have a prescription was also found on his person.
Mohamedali is charged with a Controlled Substance Violation, Possession of a Controlled Substance – 2nd Offense and Interference with Official Acts. If convicted on all charges, Mohamedali faces a maximum of over seven years in prison.
Mohamedali faces a May 10th trial on an Accessory After the Fact charge after police say he lied to police investigating the shooting death of 19-year-old Quincy Russom in Mohamedali’s Governor Street apartment in February of 2021. Mohamedali allegedly gave false descriptions of made-up suspects and failed to call 9-1-1 to report the shooting in a timely manner.
Mohamedali faces a maximum of two years in jail, if convicted. The onetime Iowa Freedom Riders leader also faces a May 3rd trial on numerous felony charges after police say he sold drugs out of the residence.
Mohamedali’s alleged crimes would violate his probation on a 2018 armed robbery conviction.
University of Iowa Police charged Mohamedali with a felony in 2020 for destroying $5,000 worth of fencing around the Old Capitol Museum during Black Lives Matter protests. He allegedly recruited other protesters to help him, and was seen celebrating when they got the fence down. The charge against him was reduced to Disorderly Conduct charge and he was given credit for time served.