An undercover drug sting at a small east Durham convenience store has landed its owner in felony trouble, after investigators say they found nearly 1.8 kilograms of marijuana products, a handgun and thousands in cash tucked inside Bull City Mini Mart on Angier Avenue.
Durham shop owner Iyad Abdo Alward is accused in court filings of selling high-THC products from the store and stocking items that tested well above the 0.3% legal limit that separates federally legal hemp from illegal marijuana. Prosecutors have charged him with a slate of felonies, including possession with intent to sell and maintaining a place for controlled substances. Records show Alward was released on a $5,000 secured bond and is due back in Durham County court on Friday, Feb. 20.
According to CBS17, the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement division got a complaint about possible marijuana sales at Bull City Mini Mart on Jan. 23. An undercover ALE agent then went into the store on Jan. 29 and bought products that later tested with THC levels between 1.11% and 5.03%. Those numbers are all north of the 0.3% cap for hemp-derived products, the outlet reports, and the test results helped agents secure a search warrant.
Search Warrant and Items Seized
Agents executed that warrant at the shop on Feb. 13 and, according to court documents cited by CBS17, they seized “1,745 grams of marijuana products,” a handgun and $4,460 in currency. The affidavit describes packaging and quantities that investigators say look more like retail stock than personal stash. Public records list the business as operating under the Bull City Mini Mart name.
Charges and What They Mean
Court filings show Alward faces several counts: maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance, felony possession of marijuana, possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, and allowing possession and sale of marijuana on licensed premises. Bull City Mini Mart is listed at MapQuest at 2929 Angier Ave…