By: Kara Szymanski | Shelby-Utica News | Published August 7, 2023
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A 20-year-old Sterling Heights man has been arrested for allegedly delivering THC products to kids at local schools.
According to police, in May 2023, a Utica Community Schools administrator learned about a student who had been found by a parent to be in possession of a vape dispenser at their home. The administrator told a Shelby Township police officer who is a school resource officer. An investigation resulted in multiple students being found to be in possession of vape dispensers and THC cartridges while at school. The Shelby Township Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit took over the case to determine how these underage students were able to get the vapes and THC products.
The Special Investigations Unit conducted interviews and obtained search warrants, from which investigators developed a suspect. Shelby Township police then conducted a traffic stop on the suspect, whom they identified as Saveer Esho.
Police said that several marijuana products and nicotine vapes were recovered from inside Esho’s vehicle, and he was arrested and brought to the Police Department. Esho, police said, confessed to detectives that he had a history of selling marijuana and tobacco products to minors. Esho further admitted that he had sold and delivered these products to students on school grounds, police said. They said that deliveries had been made to three local high schools.
Sgt. Mark Benedettini, of the Shelby Township Police Department, said the arrest was the result of collaboration between parents, Utica Community Schools and the Shelby Township Police Department.
“As a result of the parent bringing this issue to the attention of the UCS Administrator, they in turn informed the Shelby Township Police School Resource Officer, at which point an investigation took place, which resulted in the arrest of this individual,” he said.
Esho was arraigned on June 28 on charges of delivery of a controlled substance to a minor, possession of a counterfeit or forged state identification card, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His bond was set at $50,000 cash or surety, and it was posted. Esho waived his preliminary exam and the case was bound over to Macomb County Circuit Court.
Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide provided a prepared statement on the arrest.
“Our department will use all available resources to catch and prosecute predators who attempt to prey on the most vulnerable in our community — kids and senior citizens. I commend the UCS administrator and the work of our School Resource Officer and Special Investigations Unit for getting this criminal off the streets,” he stated.
Esho’s attorney, Ziad Nicholas Abouzeid, did not respond to multiple attempts to reach him before press time.