BERKS COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — After pounds of marijuana were seized from two Reading area smoke shops last September, authorities have arrested two people and are searching for a third.
On Monday, Berks County authorities gave the public some insight into the investigation, which began in early 2025 after community members reported that local smoke shops were selling illegal, high-potency THC products to kids. The district attorney’s office said these complaints were followed by reports of kids getting sick after consuming these products.
“Authorities determined that the distributed THC edibles contained more than 0.3% THC by weight, classifying them as controlled substances under Pennsylvania law,” the Berks County District Attorney’s Office wrote in a press release.
On Sept. 10, 2025, authorities served a search warrant at two shops: Prime Tobacco Zone, located at 438 Penn Ave. in West Reading, and the NYC Convenience Store Inc., located at 1142 Rockland St. in Reading.
The following items were seized from Prime Tobacco Zone:
8 vacuum-sealed bags of bulk marijuana (approx. 524 grams per bag)136 canned soft drinks containing THC249 individual packages of suspected marijuana (3.5g each)91 individual packages of suspected marijuana (1.0g each)110 individual packages of suspected marijuana (2.0g each)1 clear plastic bag containing bulk marijuana
The following items were seized from NYC Convenience Inc.:
14 vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana bulk (52 grams per bag)9 knotted bags of bulk marijuana (4.6 lbs. total)7 vacuum-sealed bags of bulk marijuana (7.4 lbs. total)9 large zip-top bags containing 679 packets of pre-packaged marijuana (7.9 lbs. total)41 packets of pre-packaged marijuana (2.5 lbs. total)Loose marijuana (38.5g)2 large Ziploc bags containing 348 packets of pre-packaged marijuana (2.7 lbs. total)Bulk packaging material (approx. 29,768 individual plastic packets)A large quantity of pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes and edible THC products
Arrest warrants were issued Monday for three people in connection to the investigation: Mohammed Hamood Abiah, 39, of Reading; Joshua Velez, 38, of Reading; and Aljenis Kelvin Reyes, 29, of Reading.
All three are charged with felony offenses including the manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, along with criminal conspiracy.
Authorities said Reyes is still at large.
The other two suspects were apprehended Monday morning and taken to the Berks County Central Processing Center, where they await arraignment.
The district attorney’s office is asking anyone with any relevant information to call the Reading Police Department at (610) 655-6116 or Berks County detectives at (610) 478-7171.