A Canadian coke dealer who turned the quiet streets of Alhambra into his narcotics warehouse is now headed to the slammer for six years. Sam Nang Bou, 41, of Edmonton, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson after pleading guilty last December to one count of cocaine distribution.
Federal authorities said Bou was heavily involved in the drug trade, operating stash houses in the San Gabriel Valley and attempting to quickly export his illicit goods to Canada. On June 28, 2022, he was caught red-handed transporting over 230 pounds of cocaine to a location in Hesperia. He then gave these boxes of drugs to a truck driver to allegedly kick-start their journey across the border.
This wasn't Bou's only foray into the narcotics business. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Canadian carried out at least eight other similar transactions between September 2021 to September 2022, dealing about 752 pounds of cocaine and a staggering over 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine.
He utilized vehicles with secret compartments and rented storage units under false names to safeguard his drug inventory. On September 1, 2022, authorities found significant amounts of cocaine and meth hidden in his Dodge Caravan. The stash houses also contained various items meant to mask the scent and presence of drugs, including vacuum seal bags, dryer sheets, and industrial-size containers of chemicals.
The FBI and the Los Angeles High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force spearheaded the investigation leading to Bou's arrest and conviction. Several law enforcement agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and local California police departments, provided key support in the case.
Bou's conviction is part of the larger crackdown on drug trafficking by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) which aims to dismantle high-level narcotics operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittney M. Harris of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section. For further details, inquiries can be directed to Ciaran McEvoy, Public Information Officer, at [email protected] or (213) 894-4465.
