Two Dead at Ole Miss, Smoke Shop Employees Charged
Federal charges have been filed against two employees of a Mississippi smoke shop in connection with the deaths of two University of Mississippi students.
Federal charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute have been filed against Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, employees at Puffs Vape Tobacco and Beer Store in Oxford, Mississippi. Their arrests follow the deaths of University of Mississippi students Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, who were found unresponsive on September 21.
Investigators believe the students may have died from synthetic kratom. Police received separate reports of the students being unresponsive and possibly overdosing. At both crime scenes, investigators found pills believed to be kratom or a synthetic variant.
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Department announced the federal charges on Thursday. A search of the Puffs Vape Tobacco and Beer Store, located near the university, uncovered over 500 units of synthetic kratom, along with THC cartridges and other suspected narcotics, according to Oxford Police.
"Today's federal court proceedings represent another step in an investigation that remains active and ongoing," the narcotics department stated. "Law enforcement has not stopped working this case. Investigators continue to review evidence and pursue additional information, and additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation develops."
A criminal affidavit obtained by ABC News indicated that Hamilton's bank records showed multiple purchases at Puffs Vape Tobacco and Beer, including on the day of his death. Three days after the students were found, an informant working with police reported purchasing kratom-based pills at the shop. The affidavit states the clerk advised the informant to be cautious with the pills, noting that people were dying from them.
During a subsequent search, officers seized alleged kratom products valued at $1,799. Forensic testing later confirmed that some of these pills contained kratom. Investigators also found that Strang had allegedly purchased pills containing kratom at a nearby gas station, Express Mart #7, on September 9 and 11. Officers have purchased similar pills from the Express Mart for forensic analysis, and no arrests have been made at that location.
Aidan Hamilton was an 18-year-old freshman from Colorado, while Robert Strang was a 20-year-old from Atlanta.
