Two brothers who own nearly 100 VIP Smoke Shops in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking and organized crime charges on Tuesday.
Brothers Wael Sharaydeh, 57, of Cincinnati, and Ismail Sharida, 40, of West Chester, pleaded guilty to five counts of trafficking hashish and one count of trafficking a schedule I controlled substance analog.
The two brothers own over 100 VIP Smoke Shops in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
“From the start, this case has been about keeping dangerous drugs out of the hands of children,” Attorney General Andy Wilson said. “These illegal substances have no place in our communities. If you traffic them, you’ll be held accountable.”
Wilson says the brothers, along with their company, VIP Distribution Inc., also pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
The two were indicted in 2024 after an almost two-year investigation.
According to investigators, a Warren County Drug Task Force found that their shops were selling illegal substances to minors in southwest Ohio.
According to officials, investigators executed search warrants at the shops and seized hashish in the form of oils, resins and vape cartridges containing illegal amounts of Delta-9 THC. Investigators also discovered that the shops sold products containing an analog of psilocin, a hallucinogenic compound found in psychedelic mushrooms.
The brothers agreed to close or sell all VIP Smoke Shops before sentencing on Dec. 1, as part of the plea agreement.
The also agreed to forfeit at least six vehicles, more than $338,000 seized from their shops and related bank accounts, at least three firearms, and all illegal products that tested positive for hashish or psilocin analogs.
As part of the agreements, they will not be able to own, operate, or work for smoke shops during a probation period that will be set by the court.
The brothers initially filed a civil suit in Warren County, claiming they were wrongly targeted and mischaracterized as drug dealers. As part of the plea agreement, they agreed to dismiss their civil lawsuits.
https://www.wlwt.com/article/vip-smoke-shop-owners-plead-guilty-to-felony-drug-trafficking/73840830
