Father‑Son Team Arrested Over Kratom‑Linked Student Deaths in Mississippi

A 51‑year‑old man and his 18‑year‑old son, employees of a Mississippi smoke shop, have been charged for distributing a Kratom derivative linked to the deaths of two University of Mississippi students. The arrests come after police found packages of the substance in the students’ dorm rooms, where both were believed to have overdosed.

Law enforcement officials say the Kratom derivative—often branded as “gas station heroin”—is more potent than the plant’s natural form and can be as strong as morphine. The pair were alleged to have sold the substance to the students versus obtaining it from outside sources.

U.S. prosecutors filed a criminal complaint accusing the father, Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, and his son, Islam Yahya Mosleh, of possession with intent to distribute. The charges follow the discovery of two students’ bodies on September 21 and 22, each found with missing tablet packs believed to contain Kratom derivatives.

Mississippi officials have issued warnings about the growing popularity of Kratom, noting that while the herb is legal in a number of states, derivatives such as MGPI, MGM‑15 and MGM‑16 are now Schedule I controlled substances in the United States. Recent incidents have prompted calls for tighter regulation and monitoring of the product’s sale.

For more background on the substance and its legal status, see What is Kratom, the “gas station heroin” alarming officials in the US?