SIOUX FALLS, S.D. —Five smoke shop owners across South Dakota have been indicted on drug charges following a statewide sting that uncovered the sale of illegal substances, Attorney General Marty Jackley announced Wednesday.
The operation—led by the Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation in coordination with local law enforcement—involved undercover purchases at five shops between June 11 and June 13.
Investigators reported buying products that included psilocybin mushrooms and high-THC items. Under South Dakota law, hemp products are only legal if they contain less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight, consistent with the 2018 Farm Bill. In 2024, lawmakers passed House Bill 1125, which placed stricter limits on hemp products. The measure bans the sale and manufacture of items containing “chemically derived cannabinoids,” such as Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC, THC-O, HHC, and other intoxicating hemp compounds.
In one case, a Pierre shop owner now facing charges was operating within a school zone, which carries enhanced penalties.
Jackley also criticized California and Arizona laboratories that tested the products for potency, alleging they enabled retailers to claim compliance with South Dakota’s legal standards.
Those indicted include:
- Emad Zuhair Wazwaz, 31, of Blaine, Minn., doing business as All the Smoke in Aberdeen. He faces two misdemeanor counts of possession, sale and distribution of a substance for purpose of intoxication, along with a charge for selling or distributing chemically modified hemp. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 days in the county jail and a $500 fine for each count.
- Bristol Nielsen, 29, of Pierre/Ft. Pierre, doing business as Masterpiece Smoke Shop in Pierre. He faces several felony counts, including possession with intent to distribute more than one pound of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute psilocin, violating a drug-free zone, and keeping a place for the use or sale of a controlled substance. He also is charged with a misdemeanor count of possession, sale or distribution of a substance for purpose of intoxication. If convicted, Nielsen faces a maximum sentence of 41 years behind bars.
- Saleh Jabr-Saleh Al Names, 26, of Sioux Falls, doing business as Puff City in Sioux Falls. He is charged with four misdemeanors related to possession, sale or distribution of intoxicating substances and chemically modified hemp. Jabr-Saleh Al Names faces a maximum sentence of more than three years in the county jail.
- Gamal Yahya Abdull Suhail, 35, of Sioux Falls, doing business as Blazin Aces Smokes & Vape in Sioux Falls. He faces four misdemeanor counts related to possession and distribution of illegal substances with a maximum sentence of one year in the county jail for each count.
- Benjamin Rodriguez, 32, of Spearfish, doing business as ZyGlam Smoke Shop in Rapid City. He is charged with two misdemeanors, including the sale of prohibited industrial hemp products.
Jackley urged parents to talk with their children about these products and to be vigilant by checking backpacks and bedrooms.
“This operation should serve as a warning to stop selling dangerous drugs in our communities,” said Attorney General Jackley. “We will continue working with our local law enforcement partners to protect our communities and keep our streets safe from dangerous and illegal products.”
Meanwhile, the Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition has been studying the number of vape shops in Sioux Falls and their proximity to schools. Their review found at least four shops located within a quarter mile of a school in the city.
The indictments come the same week the DEA announced Operation Vape Trail, a nationwide crackdown that seized more than 2.3 million illegal vape devices and cartridges, along with over 100 firearms and millions of dollars in cash and assets.
