MAN INDICTED FOR SELLING SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA AT TOBACCO LAND STORE

Posted on 8/25/2015

Defendant: Ali Salman Sweilmiyyen

Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced today that the Franklin County Grand Jury has returned an indictment against Ali Salman Sweilmiyyen, age 49, for one count Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (F-1), one count Aggravated Possession of Drugs (F-1), one count Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (F-2), and one count Aggravated Possession of Drugs (F-2), for a total of four counts.  Sweilmiyyen was arrested originally on June 5, 2015 by the Gahanna Police Department after his business, Tobacco Land, was raided.  It is alleged that he had been selling synthetic marijuana out of his store for months prior to the raid.  His storage locker was also searched, where police found over 2000 bags of synthetic marijuana.  During pre-raid sales to police agents, Sweilmiyyen bragged that one of his customers had overdosed and died from using his drugs.  He was arrested on the indictment by Gahanna Police on Sunday, August 23rd.  “If convicted on these charges, Sweiliyyen faces up to 18 years in prison,” O’Brien stated.  Arraignment for this case is set for tomorrow, August 26th, 2015, at 1:30 pm in courtroom 2B at 345 S. High Street.