3 Baltimore men accused of transporting synthetic marijuana through Westmoreland County

Three Baltimore men are accused by state police of having synthetic marijuana in a vehicle they were traveling in westbound on Interstate 70 through Westmoreland County in April 2019, according to court papers.

Jamal Mohammed Alzanam, 32, was arraigned Monday on charges of possession with intent to deliver, transportation of a designer drug and drug paraphernalia.

Troopers traveling behind a Toyota Camry at 12:10 a.m. April 29, 2019, noticed it weaving and following a tractor-trailer too closely, according to court papers. During a traffic stop off the Smithton exit in South Huntingdon, police said the three men appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance.

Alzanam was a backseat passenger along with Ali Mezher Al-Mashhadani, 27, police said. Raymond Maurice Fitzhugh Jr., 54, was identified as the driver of the rented car.

Fitzhugh and Alzanam told investigators the group was traveling to Illinois to visit family.

During a search of the car, police said they found a large black bag in the trunk with nearly 1,500 packages of synthetic marijuana. The trio all denied knowledge of how it got there, according to court papers.

Synthetic marijuana, also known as spice and K2, is created in a laboratory and can cause elevated heart rate, seizures and hallucinations, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

District Judge Charles Moore said he arraigned Alzanam by video from a jail in Delaware County, near Philadelphia. His bail was set at $50,000. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records. A Feb. 17 preliminary hearing is set.

Arrest warrants have been issued for Fitzhugh and Al-Mashhadani. Fitzhugh is facing driving under the influence and drug charges, along with summary vehicle code violations. Al-Mashhadani is charged with the same offenses as Alzanam.