Virginia business owners charged with selling Spice

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Two owners of Hampton Roads-based businesses were arrested for selling Spice Monday based upon federal warrants issued in the Eastern District of Virginia. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Hampton Police Department, the Newport News Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Virginia State Police and the Virginia Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Task Force.

According to court documents and court proceedings, Nader Abdallah, age 54, and Sharif Abdallah, age 31, both of Newport News, were arrested for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, distribution of controlled substances and controlled substance analogues (also known as Spice), and making a false statement.  

Sharif Abdallah was arrested in the Western District of New York and will appear for a detention hearing Thursday in Rochester, New York. Nader Abdallah was arrested in the Eastern District of Virginia, and his detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Newport News.

Nader and Sharif Abdallah each face a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison if convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.