Federal prosecutors have charged two employees of an Oxford vape shop with distributing illegal kratom products. The arrests follow the September deaths of two University of Mississippi students who were found with similar substances.
The 500 seized items at Puffs Vape Tobacco & Beer
Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and his son, Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18, are facing federal charges for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. During the investigation into Puffs Vape Tobacco & Beer, authorities seized more than 500 suspected kratom-related products.. According to the report, the seizure also included a variety of THC substances, including gummies, pre-rolls, and cartridges.
The Moslehs are facing both federal counts and state-level charges. While the business operated as a vape and tobacco shop, the federal investigation suggests it served as a distribution point for substances that bypass traditional pharmacy regulations, targeting a young demographic in a college town.
Smax packaging and the deaths of Hamilton and Strang
The investigation was triggeerd by the deaths of two University of Mississippi students in September:freshman Aidan Hamilton and junior Robert Strang. One student was found dead on campus and the other off campus. According to a DEA affidavit, bank records linked Aidan Hamilton to multiple purchases at Puffs Vape Tobacco & Beer, including one made just a day before his death.
Investigators discovered opened packages of a product labeled "Smax" in the room of Aidan Hamilton, with several pills missing. a similar package of Smax was found in the room of Robert Strang, although the affidavit notes that Strang had purchased his supply from a different establishment, Express Mart #7.. Court documents describe Smax and Pseudo-DHM tablets as kratom-like substances often sold at gas stations or tobacco shops to produce narcotic-like effects.
A warning that 'people were dying' from the pills
The federal case against Yahya Mohamed Mosleh is bolstered by a sting operation conducted on September 24. An informant visited Puffs Vape Tobacco & Beer and inquired about "7 O Kratom" pills. As reported, Yahya Mohamed Mosleh produced the pills from a hidden drawer beneath the register and explicitly told the informant to remain quiet while other customers were present.
The most striking detail from the DEA affidavit, provided by Special Agent Michael Dassance, is that the clerk warned the buyer to be careful because "people were dying from the pills." Despite this acknowledgment of the product's lethality, the sale was completed, providing prosecutors with a clear narrative of willful distribution of a dangerous substance.
The 2019 Oxford ban and the DEA's August crackdown
This case highlights a complex legal landscape regarding kratom, a substance derived from a Southeast Asian tree. While pure ground-leaf kratom remains legal at the federal level, the DEA banned three specific kratom-related compounds in August. Mac Haddow, a Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the American Kratom Association, stated that the specific drug found near the students is illegal.
Local laws in Mississippi have been even more stringent than federal guidelines. The sale and possession of kratom have been illegaal in Oxford since 2019 and in Lafayette County since 2021. Proponents of kratom argue that the plant is a safe herbal supplement for pain and anxiety, but they maintain that the danger arises from synthetic derivatives—like those found at Puffs Vape Tobacco & Beer—which are highly potent and unregulated.
The missing toxicology reports from the medical examiner
Despite the arrests, a critical piece of the puzzle remains missing: definitive medical proof of the cause of death.. While federl prosecutors state the deaths of Aidan Hamilton and Robert Strang appear consistent with drug overdoses, it is not yet confirmed if kratom was the primary driver. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves recently noted that two state agencies are working to expedite toxicology reports from the medical examiner.
Furthermore, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics agency has stopped short of officially declaring that kratom was found near either student. Because the Moslehs are not currently accused of causing the deaths themselves, but rather the illegal distribution of the substance, the final toxicology results will determine if the charges could eventually be escalated.
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