A Salem, Oregon man, aged 25, is facing charges for cannabis trafficking after federal agents allegedly discovered almost 32 pounds of raw cannabis in a suitcase he attempted to carry onto a flight bound for London at O’Hare International Airport. The man claims it is a misunderstanding linked to a job opportunity he found on Instagram.
The legal troubles for Samuel Stahl began on the evening of August 14. According to a detention filing, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent inspecting a departing American Airlines flight focused on a black SWISSGEAR suitcase. Believed to belong to Stahl, agents stopped him as he entered the jet bridge, seized his iPhone and walkie-talkie, and conducted a border search in a secure area.
Inside the suitcase, agents reportedly found 29 packets of vacuum-sealed raw cannabis. Stahl explained to agents that he was merely acting as a courier and was unaware of the bag’s contents, as he had signed a non-disclosure agreement. When questioned about the bag’s ownership, Stahl allegedly stated he was instructed to claim ignorance. He also reportedly claimed he couldn’t read when shown a luggage tag with his name.
Approximately an hour into the investigation, Stahl’s account expanded. He allegedly revealed that earlier in the summer, he responded to a job listing on Instagram for an international luggage courier. A week later, he claimed he was offered $1,000 plus expenses to deliver a suitcase to Thailand. Despite signing a non-disclosure agreement, Stahl admitted to peeking inside the bag, finding only files and clothing. In Thailand, an unknown individual collected the suitcase and escorted him to his hotel.
Stahl further explained, according to the detention filing, that he was contacted by the same company via Instagram late last month to deliver the SWISSGEAR suitcase to London. Again, an unidentified person handed him the bag with instructions not to look inside. Assuming he was transporting documents, Stahl did not inspect the contents.
While speaking with investigators, Homeland Security Investigations agents examined Stahl’s iPhone. It allegedly showed that his courier-related communications were on Snapchat, not Instagram as claimed. The messages included details about instructions and payments: $7,000 for England and $4,000 for Brazil. More concerning, agents reportedly found a video from May showing cannabis concealed in Pringles cans and Styrofoam ramen cups, shared with a Snapchat contact, along with a photo of a suitcase sent to Denmark.
Confronted with the phone’s contents, Stahl refuted any knowledge of what he was transporting and maintained that the initial suitcase contained only documents, clothing, fruit strips, and shaving supplies.
When informed by an HSI task force officer that the agency would secure the 31.5 pounds of cannabis found, Stahl allegedly remarked, “Kid you not. I had no idea there was that much there.”
Stahl is facing charges for cannabis trafficking and unlawful delivery of cannabis. Prosecutors did not request his detention, and Judge Deidre Dyer released him under standard conditions.
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