VIP Smoke Shop brothers plead guilty to drug trafficking to minors in Ohio

Co-owners of nearly 100 VIP Smoke Shops in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky admitted to felony drug trafficking and organised crime charges. Sentencing is set for 1 December.

Brothers behind 100-store chain admit selling illegal drugs to minors in southwest Ohio

The co-owners of nearly 100 VIP Smoke Shops across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky have pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking and organised crime charges, abc6onyourside.com reports.

Brothers Ismail Sharida, 40, of West Chester, and Wael Sharaydeh, 57, of Cincinnati, entered guilty pleas in Butler County Common Pleas Court. They admitted to five counts of trafficking hashish and one count of trafficking a Schedule I controlled substance analog. Their company, VIP Distribution Inc., also pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the case centred on protecting children. "From the start, this case has been about keeping dangerous drugs out of the hands of children," Wilson said. "These illegal substances have no place in our communities. If you traffic them, you'll be held accountable."

A Butler County grand jury indicted Sharida and Sharaydeh in 2024 after investigators from the Warren County Drug Task Force established that shops under their ownership had sold illegal drugs to minors in southwest Ohio. During the execution of search warrants, investigators seized hashish oils, resins and vape cartridges containing illegal levels of Delta-9 THC. Products carrying an analog of psilocin — a compound present in psychedelic mushrooms — were also recovered from the stores.

Under the plea agreements, both brothers must close or sell all VIP Smoke Shops before sentencing, scheduled for 1 December. They will forfeit at least six vehicles, more than $338,000 seized from shops and associated bank accounts, at least three firearms and all products that tested positive for illegal substances.

Sharida and Sharaydeh additionally agreed not to own, operate or work for any smoke shop during a probation period to be determined by the court. As part of the deal, they will withdraw civil lawsuits they had filed against law enforcement and Warren County in connection with the searches.

The Special Prosecutions Section of the Ohio Attorney General's Office is handling the prosecution.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)