Two Des Moines Men Sentenced Federal Prison Fentanyl Distribution

Two Des Moines men, Ajang Malou Wour and Omar Mohamed Nurani, were sentenced to 12 and 10 years respectively in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Wour began trafficking fentanyl pills in mid-2023 shortly after release from federal supervision and expanded to distributing significant quantities of fentanyl powder, moving over 60,000 pills and 40 ounces of powder within 18 months. Nurani received fentanyl from Wour and distributed more than 2,000 pills and eight ounces of powder. In June 2024, a customer who purchased fentanyl pills from Nurani overdosed and died, but both men continued their drug operations afterward. The case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department with assistance from other local agencies and prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Fentanyl overdoses have surged nationally, especially among young people, with the Drug Enforcement Administration warning of the lethal danger posed by counterfeit fentanyl pills.