+34
Federal prosecutors charged an Oxford store clerk and his son with selling an illegal kratom product after two University of Mississippi students died of apparent overdoses.
Federal authorities investigating the deaths of two University of Mississippi students have charged a store clerk and his son with selling an illegal kratom product.
Prosecutors announced the charges Friday. The defendants are Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and his son, Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18. Each faces one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. They appeared Thursday before a magistrate judge, who ruled there was sufficient evidence to charge them.
Charges Follow Students' Deaths
The two University of Mississippi students were found dead Sept. 21 in different locations, one on campus and the other off campus. They were Aidan Hamilton, a freshman from Englewood, Colorado, and Robert Strang, a junior from Atlanta. It is still not clear whether kratom contributed to either death, but federal prosecutors said both deaths appear consistent with drug overdoses. Mississippi Gov.
Tate Reeves said last week that two state agencies were working to expedite toxicology reports for the students. A drug task force in Mississippi had previously urged people to avoid kratom, an herbal substance that acts as a stimulant at low doses and a sedative at high doses. Authorities found packages of kratom derivatives while investigating the deaths. Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said Thursday the investigation remained active and additional charges were possible.
A federal court filing shows bank records link Hamilton to multiple purchases in September from a vape, tobacco and beer store in Oxford, Mississippi, where the university is located. On Sept. 24, an informant sent to the store by investigators purchased kratom-based pills from Yahya Mosleh. According to DEA Special Agent Michael Dassance, Mosleh warned the informant to be careful taking the pills because people were dying from them.
Kratom Evidence Links Oxford Store
Authorities later detained Mosleh and his son, who was working behind the counter. In his Sept. 25 affidavit, Dassance said one of the banned compounds was listed as an ingredient in products seized from the Oxford store and from Hamilton's room. Investigators found opened packages of kratom, or synthetic kratom, labeled Smax in Hamilton's room, with some pills missing. A package of Smax was also found in Strang's room, though the affidavit says he bought it from a different store.
According to the affidavit, Yahya Mosleh told the informant to be quiet when other customers came in and pushed the kratom pills out of sight. When the customers left, he completed the sale and again told the informant to be careful. Attorneys for both defendants said they had no comment. Scott Davis represents the elder Mosleh, and A.E.
Harlow, Jr. represents Islam Mosleh. The U.S. attorney's office in Mississippi said authorities established a link between the kratom derivative found at the scene of the student's death and a local store. Kratom comes from a tree native to Southeast Asia and is legal at the federal level. But some state and local governments have banned it, and federal authorities have issued warnings about its risks.
Kratom Derivatives Draw Scrutiny
In August, the DEA banned three kratom-related compounds. Proponents say that in its pure, ground-leaf form, kratom is a safe, natural herbal supplement that can help manage pain, anxiety and depression and ease the effects of opioid withdrawal. They say the danger is from kratom derivatives, which are often synthetic and can be highly potent.
Over the past decade, U.S. health officials and states have increasingly scrutinized kratom, which is used in capsules, powders and liquids often sold in gas stations or smoke shops. Eleven states have banned it. Others, including Mississippi, have regulated it, in part by requiring people to be 21 or older to buy it. Both the city of Oxford and Lafayette County, where the University of Mississippi is located, have bans in place.
Please follow us on Google to support us
CTVNews 
CP24:Prosecutors probing deaths of 2 Ole Miss students charge shop clerk, son with selling illegal kratom 
CTVToronto:Prosecutors probing deaths of 2 Ole Miss students charge shop clerk, son with selling illegal kratomThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Kratom Ole Miss Student Deaths Yahya Mohamed Mosleh Federal Charges Oxford Mississippi DEA
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ontario Likely to Miss 2031 Housing Target Due to Regulatory BarriersThe Toronto Region Board of Trade warns that Ontario is on track to fall more than 550,000 homes short of its goal to build 1.5 million new units by 2031. A new report attributes the projected shortfall to outdated and fragmented zoning and building code rules that delay development. The board urges the provincial government to amend these regulations to accelerate housing production and address the growing affordability crisis.
Read more »
Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin to miss opening weekend with upper-body injuryLarkin had been dealing with the injury throughout training camp and missed all of the preseason.
Read more »
Devils’ Seamus Casey to miss 8-10 weeks after knee surgeryThe blueliner could be out until mid-December in a year where he hoped to establish himself as an NHL regular....
Read more »