Two employees of an Oxford smoke shop are facing federal charges after authorities seized more than 500 units of synthetic kratom amid investigations into the deaths of two University of Mississippi students and a separate suspected overdose in the area.
Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, were found dead on September 21 after police received separate calls reporting that each man was unresponsive and possibly experiencing an overdose.
Investigators later recovered pills at both scenes that they believed could be kratom or synthetic kratom.
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Department said Thursday that Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, had been charged federally with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Both men worked at Puffs Vape Tobacco and Beer Store in Oxford, located just outside the university campus.
Oxford police said officers searched the business after receiving reports that illegal substances were allegedly being sold there. During the search, investigators found synthetic kratom, THC cartridges and other suspected narcotics.
‘Today’s federal court proceedings represent another step in an investigation that remains active and ongoing. Law enforcement has not stopped working this case,’ the narcotics department said.
‘Investigators continue to review evidence and pursue additional information, and additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation develops.’
Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, is facing federal charges of possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute
Islam Mohamed, 18, is also facing federal charges after officers recovered more than 500 units of synthetic kratom at the Mississippi smoke shop where he worked
Officials said kratom, pictured here, was found during investigations into the deaths of two Ole Miss students
Also Thursday, Oxford police announced a separate suspected overdose involving a 22-year-old on Sweetgum Lane, approximately five miles from the university.
The person was not a student, and police said they do not believe the incident was connected to the university.
Authorities arrived at about 5 a.m. and found the individual unresponsive. Emergency responders revived him at the scene before taking him to a hospital. Police said he is expected to survive.
Officers determined that the individual had synthetic kratom products, though police said the products were not believed to have been purchased in Oxford.
‘The Oxford Police Department is once again warning the public about the serious and potentially deadly dangers associated with synthetic kratom products,’ police said.
‘Synthetic and manufactured kratom products can contain powerful and unpredictable substances.’
The department emphasized that the latest suspected overdose is not connected to the ongoing investigation into the deaths of the two students.
Hamilton, a freshman from Colorado, was found inside Stewart Hall on campus. Emergency responders performed CPR but could not save him.
Strang, a junior from Georgia, was found at an off-campus home on Van Buren Avenue.
Robert Strang, a 20-year-old from Atlanta, is the older of the two victims
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Aidan Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman from Colorado, was the second student to be found dead. Picture source: Kathie Mac Donald Hamilton/Facebook
Puffs Vape Tobacco and Beer Store owner Amer Alowdi was previously indicted for trafficking drugs and has since left the country
A criminal affidavit obtained by ABC News revealed that Hamilton’s bank records showed multiple purchases at Puffs Vape Tobacco and Beer, including on the day of his death.
The shop’s business owner, Amer Alowdi, 40, was previously indicted for trafficking drugs and has since left the country, according to Oxford Police.
An informant working for the police went undercover three days after the students were found dead and reported purchasing ‘kratom-based pills’ at the shop.
‘The clerk told the informant to be careful taking the pills, because people were dying from them,’ the affidavit read.
That same day, narcotics officers searched the store and seized alleged kratom products worth $1,799, according to the document.
The affidavit noted that forensic testing confirmed that some of the pills contained kratom.
Investigators also found that Strang allegedly purchased pills containing kratom at a nearby gas station called Express Mart #7.
The affidavit noted that the purchases occurred on September 9 and 11. Officers purchased similar pills and have sent them to a forensics lab for analysis. There have been no arrests of employees at the Express Mart.
Toxicology reports on the two students are ongoing. An official cause or manner of death has yet to be released.
Kratom is derived from a Southeast Asian tree and can produce stimulant-like effects at lower doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. It is sometimes marketed for energy, pain relief or managing opioid withdrawal.
Robert Strang is seen here in a post made by the Ole Miss Phi Delt Alumni showcasing their Rush Chairs for 2026. Picture source: Ole Miss Phi Delt Alumni/Facebook
The Lyceum, oldest building on the campus of the University of Mississippi on April 12, 2008 in Oxford
Oxford, Mississippi Mayor Robyn Tannehill warned that taking kratom is like ‘rolling the dice on death’ as the community reels from the deaths of two Ole Miss students
‘To take kratom is really rolling the dice on death,’ Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill told Fox News after the campus tragedy.
‘That sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth. And so our challenge right now is to make our young people understand the dangers of these drugs.’
Tannehill said Oxford officials had been concerned about kratom for years and moved to restrict its sale locally in 2019 after the city’s police chief raised the alarm.
The mayor said authorities were continuing to hunt for people willing to illegally supply potentially dangerous substances to young people.
‘We are always trying to find the bad actors in our community that are choosing to sell these things to kids,’ she said.
The mayor added that the loss of the two students deeply impacted the community, and her heart broke for their loved ones.
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