The co-owners of nearly 100 smoke shops across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky have pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking and organized crime charges under agreements requiring them to close or sell all of their stores before sentencing.
Brothers Ismail Sharida, 40, of West Chester, and Wael Sharaydeh, 57, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Butler County Common Pleas Court to five counts of trafficking hashish and one count of trafficking a Schedule I controlled substance analog, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
The brothers, along with their company, VIP Distribution Inc., also pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Under the plea agreements, Sharida and Sharaydeh must close or sell all VIP Smoke Shops before their December 1 sentencing. The chain operates nearly 100 locations across the three states.
The men also agreed to forfeit more than $338,000 seized from stores and associated bank accounts, at least six vehicles, at least three firearms and products that tested positive for hashish or psilocin analogs.
The case originated from an investigation led by the Warren County Drug Task Force that resulted in a Butler County grand jury indicting the brothers in 2024.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office says investigators determined that VIP Smoke Shops in southwest Ohio were selling illegal substances to minors.
During searches of the stores, authorities seized hashish in the form of oils, resins and vape cartridges containing what investigators described as illegal levels of delta-9 THC. Products containing an analog of psilocin, the hallucinogenic compound associated with psychedelic mushrooms, were also recovered.
Ohio allows recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older, but legal marijuana products must be sold through state-licensed dispensaries rather than ordinary smoke shops.
“From the start, this case has been about keeping dangerous drugs out of the hands of children,” said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson. “These illegal substances have no place in our communities. If you traffic them, you’ll be held accountable.”
The plea agreements will also prohibit Sharida and Sharaydeh from owning, operating or working for smoke shops during a probationary period to be set by the court.
The brothers further agreed to dismiss civil lawsuits they had filed against law enforcement agencies and Warren County over searches conducted during the investigation.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section is handling the prosecution.
