Aidan HamiltonYahya Mohamed MoslehIslam Yahya MoslehYahya MoslehMac HaddowRobert StrangSean TindellIslam MoslehUniversity of MississippiExpress Mart #7American Kratom AssociationPuffs Vape Tobacco & BeerMississippi Department of Public SafetyPuffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer StoreMississippi State Medical Examiner's OfficeLafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit

Two vape store clerks face federal drug charges after tracing purchases made by dead Ole Miss students; clerk warned informant 'people were dying' from kratom

Two vape store clerks, Yahya and Islam Mosleh, face federal drug charges linked to the deaths of Ole Miss students Aidan Hamilton and Robert Strang. Investigators found over 500 kratom-related products at their store, with one clerk warning an informant that "people were dying" from the substance.

New York Post+2 sources2 October 2026 · 18:50 UTC
CuriousCats Full Story

Two vape store clerks, Yahya and Islam Mosleh, face federal charges after their store was linked to the deaths of Ole Miss students Aidan Hamilton and Robert Strang.

The investigation revealed that both students had purchased kratom-related products from Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store, where over 500 units of kratom were seized.37

A confidential informant reported that Yahya Mosleh warned him to be cautious with the kratom pills, stating, “people were dying from them.” This warning came amid a broader investigation into the illegal sale of kratom, which has been federally banned since August and is illegal in Oxford since 2019.

The students were found unresponsive on September 21, with authorities linking their deaths to the substances purchased at the vape store.

According to a DEA affidavit, bank records connected Hamilton to purchases at Puffs Vape, while Strang was linked to Express Mart #7.

The investigation included undercover purchases and the recovery of various narcotics, including THC cartridges and gummies.

The charges against the Moslehs highlight ongoing concerns about the safety of kratom, a substance often marketed for its narcotic-like effects.

Toxicology results for both students are pending, as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Key Insight
“The DEA affidavit links bank records of both students to purchases at two stores, with over 500 kratom products seized. Authorities await toxicology results, which are expected this week, to determine if kratom caused the deaths.”
CuriousCats studied:
1
New York Post
“Yahya Mohamed Mosleh and Islam Yahya Mosleh are each charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, the documents show.”
New York Post →
2
The Clarion-LedgerThe Clarion-Ledger
“Two employees who were arrested after law enforcement found and other drugs at an Oxford store are now facing federal charges , court documents and law enforcement statements show.”
The Clarion-Ledger →
3
NewsNation
“A tobacco store clerk told a federal informant to be careful with the illegal pack of kratom he was about to sell him “because people were dying from them” but sold it anyway and is now charged in connection with an , according to an affidavit.”
NewsNation →
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