BUTLER COUNTY — The brothers and co-owners of nearly 100 VIP Smoke Shops across three states, including Ohio, have pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and organized crime charges.
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On Tuesday, 40-year-old Ismail Sharida, of West Chester, and 57-year-old Wael Sharaydeh, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in Butler County Common Pleas Court to five counts of trafficking hashish and one count of trafficking a Schedule I controlled substance analog.
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Sharida, Sharaydeh, and their company, VIP Distribution Inc., also pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, according to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.
An investigation led by the Warren County Drug Task Force found that the shops were selling illegal substances to minors in southwest Ohio.
Hashish in the form of oils, resins, and vape cartridges containing illegal amounts of Delta-9 THC was found during searches of the shops.
Investigators also found that the shops sold products containing an analog of psilocin, a hallucinogenic compound found in psychedelic mushrooms.
Now, as part of their plea agreement, the brothers must close or sell all of their smoke shops before they are sentenced on Dec. 1.
They’ll forfeit vehicles, money, firearms, and all illegal products that tested positive for hashish or psilocin analogs, Wilson announced.
The brothers will also not be allowed to own, operate, or work for smoke shops during a probation period to be set by the court.
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