NASHVILLE — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
NASHVILLE – Rimon Salim, 38, owner and operator of Club Miami, an after-hours nightclub in Nashville, pleaded guilty today to distributing methamphetamine and cocaine from inside the club, announced United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee.
"Ramon Salim’s nightclub became a marketplace for methamphetamine and cocaine," said United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee. "Business owners who illegally profit from the distribution of dangerous narcotics contribute to the serious problem that devastates families and communities across Tennessee. Today's guilty plea reflects our commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable, regardless of where they operate."
According to court documents, Salim owned and operated Club Miami, a weekend after-hours nightclub that remained open from approximately 2 a.m. until 6 a.m. Between February and March 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation used confidential informants equipped with audio and video recording devices to document drug trafficking inside the club.
"This guilty plea is the result of collaborative local, state, and federal law enforcement efforts to rid our communities of highly addictive and extremely dangerous drugs," said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "The FBI is committed to dismantling the drug networks that threaten our neighborhoods and will continue to target and bring to justice those who engage in these crimes."
On February 23, 2025, Salim sold approximately 27.69 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Laboratory testing later confirmed the methamphetamine was approximately 94 percent pure. On March 9, 2025, Salim sold approximately 55 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant, weighing the drugs on a scale inside the club's bathroom before completing the transaction. In both instances, the controlled substances were recovered by law enforcement and subsequently analyzed by the Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory, which confirmed their identity and weight.
“The ATF works collaboratively with our law enforcement partners day and night to swiftly remove individuals who distribute narcotics in our streets, participate in organized crime, and show total disregard for human life in our communities,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Nashville Field Division SAC Jamey VanVliet. “The ATF’s primary mission is to combat violent crime, and we will work tirelessly with our partners to keep the communities that we serve safe.”
Salim pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one involving methamphetamine and one involving cocaine.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 21, 2026. Salim faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; the Tennessee Highway Patrol; the Tennessee Department of Revenue; and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
Criminal Chief Ahmed A. Safeeullah and Assistant United States Attorney Cooper R. Byers are prosecuting the case.
Charges against any co-defendant are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
