Key facts
- A father and son smoke shop workers were arrested and charged in connection with the suspected overdose deaths of two University of Mississippi students.
- Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18, are accused of selling controlled substances.
- Suspected kratom derivatives were found in the rooms of both deceased students.
- The clerk reportedly warned an informant about the dangers of the kratom pills.
- Kratom derivatives are considered significantly more potent than natural kratom leaf products.
Federal authorities have charged a father and son who worked at a Mississippi smoke shop with selling controlled substances following the suspected overdose deaths of two University of Mississippi students last month. Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and his son Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18, were arrested and charged with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
Prosecutors allege that on September 21, an Ole Miss student was found dead in his dorm room, with the apparent cause of death consistent with a drug overdose. Law enforcement discovered packages of suspected kratom derivatives, with some tablets missing, in the room. About an hour later, a second student was found dead from a suspected overdose in another location, also with similar packages.
Officials linked the seized substances to the local vape, tobacco, and beer store where the Moslehs worked. A search warrant executed at the store yielded suspected kratom derivative controlled substances. According to a US Drug Enforcement Administration affidavit, on September 24, an informant purchased kratom-based pills from Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, who reportedly cautioned the informant to "be careful taking the pills because people were dying from them."
Kratom, a herb with opioid-like effects native to Southeast Asia, is legal at the federal level in the US but is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is banned or regulated in some states and cities due to safety concerns. Kratom derivatives, such as MGPI, MGM-15, and MGM-16, are now classified as Schedule I controlled substances in the US and can be significantly more potent than natural kratom leaf products.