Former Iowa City head shop owner pleads guilty to drug charges

CEDAR RAPIDS - The former owner of an Iowa City head shop pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Cedar Rapids to conspiring to distribute synthetic drugs, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern Iowa District.

Hadi Sharairi, 45, of Coralville, former owner of Zombies, was convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute synthetic drugs called AB-FUBINACA and THJ-2201 between February and May 2014, according to the release. AB-FUBINACA was a Schedule I controlled substance and THJ-2201 was a controlled substance analogue during that time period, making the drugs illegal to sell, just as controlled substances such as cocaine or heroin are illegal to sell and consume.

Sharairi faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, a $1 million fine, $100 in special assessments and up to a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment, according to the release.

At a June 21 hearing in the case, an Iowa City Police officer testified that Sharairi was warned by the Iowa City Police Department in June 2013 not to sell synthetic cannabinoid products. These are often referred to as 'K2,” 'Spice,” or 'incense.” However, law enforcement found packages labeled 'Bizarro” and 'Super Nova,” which contained THJ-2201 and AB-FUBINACA, during a May 2014 search of Zombies and a storage unit associated with the shop, according to the release.

Raids of Sharairi's business, home and other locations in the same month were a part of a coordinated Drug Enforcement Administration takedown called Project Synergy Phase II that included searches for the synthetic drugs in 29 states.

Sharairi remains in custody and his sentencing date before U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand is to be set for a later date.