Miami businessman, a former high-flying Molly dealer, charged with trafficking fake Xanax
About a decade ago, Omar Wala was an ambitious young Florida International University student who made a fortune importing the club-drug Molly by mail from China. But hubris led to his downfall — federal agents tracked him down thanks to a flashy orange Lamborghini registered in his name.
Wala went to federal prison, got out in 2016 and seemingly rebuilt his life. He championed himself as an affordable housing developer in the New York area and bought a $3 million home in Hialeah Gardens. On Instagram, Wala posted photos of him showing off, yes, a new Lamborghini.
But on Tuesday, Wala found himself behind bars again, arrested in New York and accused by the feds of illegally trafficking in counterfeit Xanax.
The indictment, which was filed in the Eastern District of Kentucky, seeks to seize an array of luxury cars, money in various banks and all of Wala’s cryptocurrencies and dozens of high-end watches from brands such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Cartier.
Four others were named in the indictment: Michael Basalyga, Philbert Campbell, Vienna Cavanaugh, and Reina Chirinos de Urena. The indictment did not say where they live. It was unclear on Tuesday evening how many of them had been taken into custody.
Wala, 33, was arrested in Long Island and was granted a $1 million bond. “He’s innocent,” said his Miami attorney, Paul Petruzzi. “It’s a complete fabrication. Why would a guy making legitimately millions of dollars dabble in fake Xanax?”
Wala told the Herald the feds, who raided his Hialeah Gardens house, have “minimal evidence” and that he believes agents are unfairly targeting him.
“This has been a witch hunt about my assets,” Wala said. “They seized a vehicle that didn’t even belong to me.”
Wala was first arrested in July 2013 on charges of intention to distribute a controlled substance.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Homeland Security Investigations agents busted a club promoter who told them about a major Molly dealer he only knew by his distinctive orange Lamborghini. Agents soon traced the car to Wala, who was eventually placed under surveillance.
The complaint says Wala admitted to importing methylone, a chemical pressed into pills and sold as Molly.
Inside his white Porsche Panamera, agents found a black bag stuffed with $149,700 in cash. He was also implicated by text messages to and from one of his underlings, and emails sent to his supplier in China using his FIU email account.
Wala pleaded guilty to one count and was ultimately sentenced to 24 months in prison. His probation was ended early as well, with defense lawyers successfully arguing he had become a valuable asset as an “administrative assistant” to his family’s company.
CLARIFICATION: An early version of the story reported that Wala was associated with a Miami sports management company. A company website had listed him as a chief financial officer. On Wednesday, the company said that the website was outdated and incorrect, and Wala was never an employee. The article also incorrectly listed the profession of Basalyga.
This story was originally published December 14, 2022 at 5:30 AM.