Deal Shuts Down Convenience Store Notorious for 'Spice'

A Holiday store that has been visited several times by Pasco County Sheriff’s detectives in their attempts to curb the sale of synthetic drugs, or “Spice,” has been shut down.

Yasser Elkalazani and Maha Hanna, co-owners of Food Land Mini Mart at 3444 Grand Blvd., landed in hot water earlier this year when detectives accused them of selling Spice. Nashat Shehata, a store clerk, was also accused of the same.  

In addition to facing criminal charges, the owners also faced civil penalties for being in violation of the county’s anti-Spice ordinance. The store was cited 44 times from February to August, county records show.

Sgt. Bill Davis said the store owed the county more than $70,000 in fines. Recently, senior assistant county attorney Kristi Sims offered the co-owners a deal that would lessen the fees they would have to pay for violating county ordinance.

The deal proposed that the owners pay $14,000 of the fines to the county and donate everything in stock, except alcohol and tobacco, to an organization designated by Pasco County. In addition, the agreement sought to prevent Elkalazani and Hanna from owning, running or working at any convenience store or like business in Pasco.

The owners agreed, deputies say, and the county dropped the remaining citations against the three.

The store’s stock is being donated to Metropolitan Ministries, a Tampa-based charity that has food banks and runs a site in Holiday. On Sept. 10, county workers and people from Metropolitan cleared Food Land’s shelves of 8,205 pounds of consumable items, including food, drinks, candy and more.  

They also took a bag of clothes and 30 boxes of non-perishable items, like cleaning supplies, car maintenance products and pet items.

“Food Land’s decision to donate its inventory does not erase the damage it inflicted on our community by selling illegal synthetic drugs,” Sims said in a statement. “But it is a welcome gesture of atonement. It is appropriate that part of the resolution of these cases will immediately and directly benefit citizens of this community.”

Elkalazani, Hanna and Shehata still face criminal charges. Elkalazani has been charged with sale and possession of synthetic drug XLR 11. In addition, he was also charged with arson and creating a firebomb in relation to a firebombing case at another convenience store.  

Hanna and Shehata have been charged with sale and possession of XLR 11.

“We’re making an impact, and we’re basically sending a message that if you’re selling this stuff in our county, we’ll shut you down,” Davis said.