CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The co-owners of nearly 100 VIP Smoke Shop locations across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky have pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking and organized crime charges, according to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.
Among the locations operated by the company is VIP Smoke Shop at 1012 Western Ave. in Chillicothe.
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 of trafficking in hashish and one count of trafficking a Schedule I controlled-substance analog.
The brothers and their company, VIP Distribution Inc., also pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
According to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, a Butler County grand jury indicted the brothers in 2024 following an investigation by the Warren County Drug Task Force. Investigators alleged that VIP Smoke Shop locations were selling illegal substances to minors in southwest Ohio.
Search warrants were subsequently executed at the businesses. Investigators reported seizing hashish, described by the Attorney General’s Office as a potent form of cannabis, including oils, resins and vape cartridges containing illegal amounts of Delta-9 THC.
Investigators also reported finding products containing an analog of psilocin, a hallucinogenic compound associated with psychedelic mushrooms.
“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.”
Smoke Shops Must Be Closed or Sold
As part of their plea agreements, Sharida and Sharaydeh must close or sell all VIP Smoke Shop locations before their Dec. 1 sentencing.
The agreements also require the forfeiture of at least:
- Six vehicles
- More than $338,000 seized from the businesses and related bank accounts
- At least three firearms
- Illegal products that tested positive for hashish or psilocin analogs
The brothers will also be prohibited from owning, operating or working for smoke shops during a probationary period to be established by the court.
Additionally, the brothers agreed to dismiss civil lawsuits they had filed against law enforcement and Warren County following execution of the search warrants.
The Special Prosecutions Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the cases.
The brothers are scheduled to be sentenced in Butler County Common Pleas Court on Dec. 1.
