Drug charges grow from Iowa City homicide case

IOWA CITY - A fatal shooting took place last month in the apartment of a locally prominent Black Lives Matter movement leader who is now in jail on unrelated charges, records show.

Iowa City police said that Quincy Russom, 19, was shot and killed Feb. 12 at 615 S. Governor St., No. 6. According to Iowa City police criminal complaints and court records, that apartment is the home of Mazin M. Mohamedali, 20.

Criminal complaints state that Iowa City police served a search warrant Feb. 24 at Mohamedali's apartment. Police said they found 56.13 grams of marijuana in Mohamedali's closet and 42.5 ecstasy pills. Mohamedali was arrested Tuesday and faces two counts each of controlled substance violation and Iowa drug tax stamp violation, as well as one count of keeping a drug house.

Mohamedali also is accused of violating his probation for a second-degree robbery conviction, according to a Department of Correctional Services report.

'The defendant continues to display the same continued behavior of selling narcotics,” the report states. 'This criminal conduct continues to pose a significant risk to the community. It should be noted, a homicide was committed at the defendant's residence on 2/12/21.”

Iowa City Police Lt. Scott Gaarde said Mohamedali's drug-related arrest began with the homicide investigation, but he would not answer any other questions including whether police believe Mohamedali was present for the shooting or whether he knew Russom or 22-year-old Sammy Hamed - who faces a first-degree murder charge in the case.

'Those answers are still under investigation at this time as this matter remains open and still very much active,” Gaarde said in an email.

Mohamedali - who previously identified himself as an Iowa Freedom Riders leader - was arrested in June 2020 for what authorities said were his actions during Black Lives Matter protests. He initially faced six charges - including a felony - and was jailed in Marshall County. But he ultimately pleaded guilty to just one simple misdemeanor.

'This movement is all about making personal sacrifices for the greater good,” Mohamedali said through his attorneys in June. 'My conviction is a small price to pay for the dividends that our movement has already brought in the City of Iowa City.”

Mohamedali's latest charges carry a potential sentence of 27 years in prison. He remains in the Johnson County Jail.

Comments: (319) 339-3155; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com