Court papers say two Ole Miss students who died in September had the same three drugs in their blood, all found in pills that investigators tie to an Oxford vape shop.
Story Highlights
- Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, both University of Mississippi students, were found dead in Oxford on Sept. 21.
- Toxicology reports cited in a federal court filing show both had mitragynine, MGM-15 and MGPI in their blood.
- All three substances were found in “Smax Mango Breeze” pills that investigators tie to Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store in Oxford.
- Yahya Mosleh, 51, who worked at the store, and his son Islam, 18, are accused of possessing drugs with intent to sell them.
- The court papers say the store’s owner was indicted years ago, fled, and may now be running the shop from Egypt.
The toxicology findings were reported on Saturday, Oct. 10, from court documents in the federal drug case against the father and son. They matter because they link what was in both young men’s blood to the same product, and a court filing states there is “probable cause to believe these drugs caused two overdose deaths in Oxford, Mississippi.” Probable cause means there is enough evidence to bring a charge; it is not a finding of guilt. The full toxicology report has not been made public.
Same Three Drugs Found in Both Students
Mitragynine is the main natural compound in kratom, a plant from Southeast Asia whose leaves are sold as powders and pills. MGM-15 and MGPI are lab-made versions that are far stronger. Both are Schedule I drugs, the federal government’s most restricted class for drugs with no accepted medical use and a high risk of abuse. Federal prosecutors say these compounds can be “significantly more potent” than natural kratom and even morphine, and they have been nicknamed “gas station heroin.”
Officials say the first student was found in his dorm room on Monday, Sept. 21, and the second was found dead about an hour later in a separate location. Officers found packages of Smax Mango Breeze MGM-15 at both sites, each with a $39.99 price tag. In September, police urged people to stay away from kratom products while they investigated.
Investigators Trace Pills to an Oxford Vape Shop
Court records say the pills match products sold at Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store. Officials allege the store sold Hamilton the pills twice in the days before he died, and bank records show purchases there. Agents later found the same Smax Mango Breeze product at the store, with matching packaging, ingredients and price tag, and lab tests found MGM-15 and MGPI in it. Police seized about 500 units of kratom and kratom-like products.
Prosecutors say that after the deaths, Yahya Mosleh sold the product to a confidential informant, a person secretly working with police. According to the court papers, he kept it in a locked case, warned the buyer that people were dying from similar products, and waited until other customers left before finishing the sale. The court documents say the product had been banned by a local ordinance for more than four years.
Both men are accused, not convicted, and federal prosecutors note that a charge is only an allegation. Their attorneys have declined to comment. A federal judge ordered Yahya Mosleh held until trial, calling him “a flight risk with ties to another country.” Islam Mosleh, an Oxford High School student, was set to be released on a $20,000 unsecured bond, meaning he pays nothing up front but owes the money if he breaks the rules, with a curfew and location monitoring.
A Wake-Up Call for Parents
Two young men are dead, and court papers say the pills tied to their deaths sat behind the counter of a shop near campus. The product had been banned locally for years, and the shop’s owner had already been indicted on a drug charge and then fled. That is a hard thing for any parent or grandparent with a child in college to read.
Officials say lab-made kratom products like these can be deadly, even when the package looks harmless. Families may want to talk with the young people in their lives about what is really inside these pills.
Sources:
noticias.foxnews.com, foxnews.com
