Mississippi smoke shop father and son charged in deaths of two university students linked to kratom
U.S. prosecutors have charged a father and his son, who worked at a Mississippi smoke shop, with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances after two University of Mississippi students died from suspected kratom overdoses.
Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Mississippi have indicted Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and his son Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances after two Ole Miss students died in September from suspected kratom overdoses. The complaint states that on 21 September a student was found dead in his dormitory, with investigators noting that the cause of death appeared consistent with a drug overdose. Approximately an hour later a second student was discovered deceased elsewhere, also with packages believed to contain kratom derivatives.
The father and son were employed at a local smoke shop that allegedly sold kratom derivatives, including MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16, to university students. Prosecutors say these synthetic variants are now classified as Schedule I substances and can be significantly more potent than natural kratom leaf products and morphine.
Kratom, a plant-based substance with opioid-like effects, is legal in Mississippi and not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, though it remains illegal in several other countries. The deaths have prompted officials to issue warnings about the risks associated with the drug.