Grand Island man sentenced for meth distribution charge

LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) - A Grand Island man is heading to federal prison for more than 15 years on a drug charge.

U.S. Attorney Steven Russell said in a release that 30-year-old Zakaria Hassan received a 188 months sentence following his conviction for distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.

The sentence was enhanced because Hassan had a prior conviction for a serious drug felony. Hassan forfeited his car and $17,533 cash to the government because the car and cash were proceeds of his drug dealing. After he completes his prison sentence, Hassan will also serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

In February of 2021, Hassan sold approximately 113 grams of methamphetamine to a cooperating witness in Grand Island. The drugs were sent to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services Bureau where an analyst confirmed the presence of at least 96 grams of pure methamphetamine. In September 2021, Hassan supplied approximately 85 grams methamphetamine to a cooperating witness in Grand Island. In January 2022, Hassan was arrested in Lincoln after police officers found a distribution amount of methamphetamine in his pocket and in the engine compartment of his car. During a search of his Grand Island residence later that month, police found more drugs, paraphernalia, and $15,893 cash.

This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, and the Trident Drug Task Force, which is made up of officers from the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.