The co-owners of nearly 100 VIP Smoke Shops across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky today pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking and organized crime charges, Attorney General Andy Wilson announced.
“From the start, this case has been about keeping dangerous drugs out of the hands of children,” Wilson said. “These illegal substances have no place in our communities. If you traffic them, you’ll be held accountable.”
Brothers Ismail Sharida, 40, of West Chester, and Wael Sharaydeh, 57, of Cincinnati, entered guilty pleas in Butler County Common Pleas Court to five counts trafficking hashish and one count of trafficking a Schedule I controlled substance analog. The brothers, along with their company, VIP Distribution Inc., also pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity…