PRESS RELEASE – A joint investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) and Toledo Police Department (TPD) led to the indictment of five men in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas.
A grand jury indicted the men on 78 felony counts, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, drug trafficking and possession, tampering with records, perjury, receiving stolen property and grand theft.
Those indicted are:
-Ahmed Zaitouni, 38, of Toledo – 30 counts
-Mohammed Zaitouni, 21, of Toledo – 28 counts
-Moustafa Zaitouni, 25, of Toledo – 12 counts
-Hussien Hassan, 39, of Toledo – seven counts
-Osman Zaitouni, 69, of Pinellas Park, Fla. – one count
The investigation began Oct. 24, 2024, when authorities discovered Hassan fraudulently titled a 2020 Ram 3500 pickup truck in Ohio.
Investigators later determined that a second vehicle, a stolen 2021 GMC Sierra from Sylvania, had been fraudulently titled under the name of a Toledo business connected to Ahmed Zaitouni.
That truck was then sold to a Lucas County car dealer using the fraudulent title, where both Ahmed Zaitouni and Hassan participated in the transaction.
On Feb. 11, 2025, troopers with the OSHP and detectives with TPD executed search warrants at the residence of Ahmed, Mohammed, and Moustafa Zaitouni.
Authorities recovered four more stolen vehicles with fraudulent VIN numbers: a BMW X4 stolen in Chicago, an Alfa Romeo Giulia stolen in Dallas, and two Dodge Ram pickup trucks.
Authorities also seized more than two kilograms of methamphetamine in the form of 5,166 pills, 99 fentanyl tablets, 36 marijuana plants, multiple firearms, fraudulent vehicle identification stickers and titles. These findings led investigators to identify Osman and Moustafa Zaitouni as suspects.
The multi-agency investigation resulted in the recovery of five stolen vehicles, valued at approximately $187,000. Authorities also seized eleven firearms and $146,563 in U.S. currency.
If convicted, Ahmed Zaitouni could face a maximum of 100 years in prison; Mohammed Zaitouni up to 95.5 years in prison; Moustafa Zaitouni up to 45.5 years in prison; Hussien Hassan up to 26 years in prison; and Osman Zaitouni could face a maximum of 18 months in prison.
An indictment is only a charge. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.