An undercover drug sting at a small east Durham convenience store has landed its owner in felony trouble, after investigators say they found nearly 1.8 kilograms of marijuana products, a handgun and thousands in cash tucked inside Bull City Mini Mart on Angier Avenue.
Durham shop owner Iyad Abdo Alward is accused in court filings of selling high-THC products from the store and stocking items that tested well above the 0.3% legal limit that separates federally legal hemp from illegal marijuana. Prosecutors have charged him with a slate of felonies, including possession with intent to sell and maintaining a place for controlled substances. Records show Alward was released on a $5,000 secured bond and is due back in Durham County court on Friday, Feb. 20.
According to CBS17, the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement division got a complaint about possible marijuana sales at Bull City Mini Mart on Jan. 23. An undercover ALE agent then went into the store on Jan. 29 and bought products that later tested with THC levels between 1.11% and 5.03%. Those numbers are all north of the 0.3% cap for hemp-derived products, the outlet reports, and the test results helped agents secure a search warrant.
Search Warrant and Items Seized
Agents executed that warrant at the shop on Feb. 13 and, according to court documents cited by CBS17, they seized "1,745 grams of marijuana products,” a handgun and $4,460 in currency. The affidavit describes packaging and quantities that investigators say look more like retail stock than personal stash. Public records list the business as operating under the Bull City Mini Mart name.
Charges and What They Mean
Court filings show Alward faces several counts: maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance, felony possession of marijuana, possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, and allowing possession and sale of marijuana on licensed premises. Bull City Mini Mart is listed at MapQuest at 2929 Angier Ave.
All of the alleged offenses fall under North Carolina’s controlled-substances laws. State law in NC General Statutes §90-95 lays out penalties and quantity thresholds for trafficking, with the stiffest presumptions and sentencing enhancements kicking in at amounts much larger than what agents say they seized in this case.
State Enforcement and the Hemp Loophole
Across North Carolina, state agents have been cracking down on unregulated THC products that slide through the hemp loophole. ALE and local partners have run a string of store investigations focused on items marketed as hemp but allegedly packed with enough THC to get customers high.
Federal law draws the line at 0.3% delta-9 THC to define hemp, but regulators and courts have been wrestling with whether to look at total THC and other cannabinoids that can make “hemp-derived” products intoxicating. That gray area has fueled both new products and new enforcement actions, which are tracked in Congressional research and state releases.
Next Steps in Court
Court records show Alward was granted a $5,000 secured bond and is scheduled for an initial appearance on Friday, Feb. 20 in Durham County. To make the more serious charges stick, prosecutors will need to prove intent to sell or distribute, not just possession. Defense attorneys in hemp-related cases often go after lab testing methods, how items were packaged and labeled, and whether investigators preserved a clean chain of custody.
For now, the allegations remain just that. Alward, like any defendant, is presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
