As D.C. officials fight the sale and use of synthetic drugs, a corner store that sold the drugs, according to the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, is being forced out of its building after the AG coordinated with the building owner.
Riyad Market at 800 Upshur St. NW, about 0.5 miles north of the Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro station, was caught in October 2014 with more than 500 packets of illegal synthetic drugs, the AG said.
The store must vacate the property before November 13, as part of a court settlement, Attorney General Karl Racine announced Thursday. If the store owner stays, the property owners can have them evicted.
After the Metropolitan Police Department found drugs in the store, the AG notified the property owner that Riyad Market was engaging in illegal activity.
The owners hired attorneys for a lawsuit to evict the store owners, the AG said. Detectives testified in the District's Landlord and Tenant Court that the store was selling synthetic drugs, and residents testified that the store had a negative impact on the community, the AG said.
"This is another example of how our office is willing to use every tool available to us – including working with property owners and community members – to stop the sale of these illegal and dangerous drugs," Racine said in a statement.
Riyad Market agreed to vacate the building by November 13. If the business doesn't leave, they will be evicted.
