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U.S. Charges Synthetic Kratom Sellers Linked to Ole Miss Deaths

By Drooid · Oct 3, 2026, 11:34 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Mosleh Brothers Charged

U.S. prosecutors charged Yahya Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mosleh, 18, for selling illegal synthetic kratom.
They were arrested on Sept. 24 in Oxford and charged with federal possession-with-intent-to-distribute.
Investigators tied “Smax” Pseudo-DHM pills sold at Puffs Vape store to the Ole Miss deaths.
Both students died on Sept. 21, and officials say the deaths appear consistent with drug overdoses.

Summary

Oxford Police Warn

Emergency personnel revived a 22-year-old after a suspected synthetic kratom overdose on Sweetgum Lane.
Police reported the victim was alert, oriented and expected to recover after ambulance transport.
Oxford Police warned county-wide residents, including DeSoto County, about the deadly risks of synthetic kratom.
Investigators said the kratom likely came from outside Oxford, indicating broader distribution networks.

History

Historical Context

After a 2010 Iowa teen’s suicide while using K2 spurred the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act, signed in 2012, the FDA issued a 2015 alert linking K2 to at least 30 overdose deaths. Those warnings prompted coordinated DEA and city actions, and now Oxford police’s 2024 alert on synthetic kratom “Smax” pills sold in vape shops echoes the earlier vape-based poisonings.

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Mosleh Brothers Charged

U.S. prosecutors charged Yahya Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mosleh, 18, for selling illegal synthetic kratom.
They were arrested on Sept. 24 in Oxford and charged with federal possession-with-intent-to-distribute.
Investigators tied “Smax” Pseudo-DHM pills sold at Puffs Vape store to the Ole Miss deaths.
Both students died on Sept. 21, and officials say the deaths appear consistent with drug overdoses.

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