Federal authorities have charged a store clerk and his son with selling an illegal kratom product as part of an investigation into the deaths of two University of Mississippi students. The charges were announced by prosecutors on Friday. A drug task force in Mississippi had previously advised the public to avoid kratom, an herbal substance that can act as a stimulant at low doses and a sedative at high doses, after packages of kratom derivatives were discovered during the investigation into the deaths on September 21.
While it remains unclear if the substances contributed to the deaths, federal prosecutors indicated that both cases appear consistent with drug overdoses. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves stated that two state agencies were working to expedite toxicology reports for the students. The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics reported that the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be forthcoming.
Bank records indicate that one of the deceased students, Aidan Hamilton, made several purchases in September from a vape, tobacco, and beer store in Oxford, Mississippi. On September 24, an informant sent to the store by investigators purchased kratom-based pills from clerk Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, who cautioned the informant to "be careful taking the pills because people were dying from them," according to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Michael Dassance's affidavit.
Mosleh and his son, Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18, who was also present at the store, were subsequently detained and charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Attorneys for both defendants declined to comment. The defendants appeared before a magistrate judge on Thursday, who determined there was sufficient evidence to proceed with the charges.
Kratom, derived from a tree native to Southeast Asia, is legal at the federal level, although some state and local governments have enacted bans. Federal authorities have issued warnings regarding its risks. Proponents argue that kratom in its pure form can serve as a natural supplement for pain, anxiety, and depression management, as well as assist with opioid withdrawal. However, they caution that the danger lies in kratom derivatives, which can be synthetic and highly potent. In August, the DEA banned three kratom-related compounds.
In his affidavit, the DEA agent noted that one of the banned compounds was found in products seized from the Oxford store and from Hamilton's residence. Hamilton, a freshman from Englewood, Colorado, and Robert Strang, a junior from Atlanta, were discovered in separate locations, one on campus and the other off campus. Investigators located 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, although he had purchased it from a different store.
Yahya Mosleh instructed the informant to be discreet during the transaction and to keep the kratom pills out of sight from other customers. After the customers left, he completed the sale, reiterating his warning to the informant. Eleven states have banned kratom, while others, including Mississippi, have implemented regulations, such as requiring purchasers to be at least 21 years old. The city of Oxford has also enacted its own ban on kratom.