March 7, 2024

The Hancock County Sheriffs Office along with members of the Hancock-Brooke­ Weirton Drug Task Force, served a search warrant and arrested 2 individuals at Phillies Quick Stop on Washington St. in Newell, WV. Warrants were a result of an investigation done by the Hancock County Sheriffs Office with assistance from the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton DTF and the WV State Police BCI. The Sheriffs Office has been looking into the sale of products with THC, many of the sales being to teens as young as 13 years old, with these products ending up in local schools. WV Code limits the sale of products with THC, the maximum amount allowed is 0.3%. All the sales obtained in this investigation were much higher, with some edible products we tested at 46.8 %, which is 156 times the amount allowed by state code. The main reason for these actions today was the fact of the amount that was in these products. They were freely selling to younger people well under the age of 18.

Arrested was Abulrashid F Alhawshabi of Weirton, WV. He was charged with 1 count of possession of a controlled substance and 1 count of delivery of a controlled substance. He was released on a $40,000.00 bond. The second arrested was Hamdan F Alhawshabi of Newell, WV, 1 count of delivery of a controlled substance. He was released on a $25,000.00 bond.

Sheriff Gittings would again like to thank the Members of the Hancock County Sheriffs Office who investigated this business and the Hancock Brooke Weirton Drug Task Force and members of the WV State Police BCI for their assistance. Sheriff Gittings wants to make it clear that these people were not just selling the average joint, these people are selling products with VERY high levels of THC and selling it to children. Also, the businesses that are selling CBD products and following the law and doing it right, should also be concerned as businesses like Phillies Quick Stop are damaging what people may think of their legal businesses.