Sheriff’s Office arrests business owner, employee accused of selling items illegally containing THC
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Two people have been arrested for allegedly selling items illegally containing THC.
Detectives with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Vice/Narcotics Unit along with Agents with the North Carolina ALE concluded a months-long investigation into illicit narcotics sales taking place at the EZ Mart located at 1619 Castle Hayne Road.
Law Enforcement say they seized numerous counterfeit trademark items, approximately 1,500 grams of suspected marijuana along with other illegal THC products in addition to approximately (60) chocolate bars of various flavors containing the psychedelic mushroom Psilocybin.
Mohammad Ahmad Darwich, whose family owns the business, and his employee Melinda Lee Greenleaf were both charged with felony marijuana and schedule one related narcotics offenses.
Several firearms were also confiscated that ranged from handguns to high-caliber AR-15 style rifles/pistols. Neither Darwich nor Greenleaf were felons and none of the weapons seized were stolen, the Sheriff’s Office says.
The case is still under investigation.
This is part of a statewide campaign which led to multiple other arrests.
In the weeks leading up to Halloween, a Secretary of State-led law enforcement operation focused in Eastern North Carolina resulted in nearly $170,000 worth of THC-infused snacks packaged using counterfeited brands being surrendered or seized from store shelves in North Carolina. In addition to the counterfeit branded edibles, weapons and other drugs were seized as part of the operation.Trademark Law Enforcement Agents with the Secretary of State’s Office and the NC Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force worked with local authorities, including the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, and other local law enforcement agencies on the coordinated enforcement effort.
Counterfeited brands ranged from Skittles and Fritos to AirHeads and Oreos.
“We’re not going to stand by while we have these businesses selling illegal drugs and merchandise in our community,” said New Hanover County Sheriff Ed McMahon. “More importantly, we’re not going to allow these drugs to get out into our community where they could harm our children.”
While the packaging on the THC edibles includes markings indicating the snacks include THC, Secretary Marshall notes that these markings are deceptive and can easily be overlooked. The packaging is meant to look like regular food, candy, chips, and other sweets. Many times the labels feature a cartoon character or other images attractive to children. THC is the compound that gives marijuana its narcotic effect.
“Halloween is a time when our children are consuming more candy and sweets, so it’s particularly important if parents have THC-infused products in their homes to lock them away like other medications or cleaning products,” added Marshall.
