Vape Shop Clerks Charged in Deaths of University of Mississippi Students
Two clerks face federal drug charges after investigators linked purchases made by two students to local vape shops prior to their deaths.
Two Oxford, Mississippi, vape shop clerks have been charged with federal drug offenses, according to court documents. Yahya Mohamed Mosleh and Islam Yahya Mosleh face charges of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Investigators with the DEA used bank records to connect Aidan Hamilton to purchases made at Puffs Vape Tobacco & Beer and Robert Strang to purchases at Express Mart #7. Authorities found similar suspected kratom products at both students' death scenes. The affidavit, dated September 25, also states that investigators seized over 500 suspected kratom-related products from an Oxford vape shop and were awaiting toxicology results from the medical examiner.
The deaths of Hamilton and Strang have drawn attention to the use of kratom, an herbal extract sold in smoke shops and online. An Ole Miss student representative highlighted the controversy surrounding the substance in a segment on 'Fox & Friends First,' discussing the tragic deaths and their connection to kratom.
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