Beaufort, NC – (February 13, 2017) On February 10 at approximately 12:30 pm, detectives with the Carteret County Drug Task force and North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement executed a search warrant at 4525 NC-101, Havelock, NC, Asmar Convenience Store – formerly Nadine’s Food Mart, for evidence related to the distribution of illegal narcotics from the business.
Detectives seized “crack” cocaine (more than one ounce – 33.5 grams), marijuana, counterfeit controlled substances, and drug paraphernalia that were being sold from the business. At the conclusion of the search, detectives charged and arrested the owner of Asmar Convenience Store, 52-year-old Taisser Tawfiq Shehadeh, 5504 Yates Garden Lane, Raleigh, NC, for three counts of felony trafficking in cocaine; one count each for maintaining a place for selling a controlled substance; felony possession with the intent to manufacture, sell and deliver marijuana; felony manufacturing of marijuana; possession of controlled substances on a licensed premises; criminal use of a counterfeit controlled substance by offering for retail sale herbal Viagra; possession of glass tubes for retail sale without complying with NC general statue; and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
Sheriff Buck stated, “When we talk about drug dealers in our county it’s common to think about individuals selling drugs out of their homes, but here we are standing in the parking lot of a business where the owner is engaged in illegal drug sales.”
“If you go into a store in Carteret County and they are selling what appears to be drug paraphernalia, I’d suggest not doing business with that store anymore,” Sheriff Buck added.
Shehadeh was transported to the Carteret County Jail and was issued a $100,000 secured bond. Shehadeah is scheduled to appear in a Carteret County courtroom on Monday, February 13 for a first appearance on the charges.
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