Office of the Attorney General’s Efforts Will Permanently End Sales of Synthetic Drugs at Petworth Store

Case against Riyad Market at 800 Upshur St. NW Results in Store Vacating Property

Washington, DC – Attorney General Karl A. Racine announced today that, thanks to efforts by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Riyad Market at 800 Upshur Street NW in Petworth will vacate the property on or before November 13. The action will end sales of synthetic drugs at the location, which had become notorious in the neighborhood for posing a significant challenge to public safety and quality of life.

“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,” Attorney General Racine said. “I want to thank Deputy Attorney General for Public Safety Tamar Meekins and the attorneys in the Neighborhood and Victim Services Section for their diligence, tirelessness, and creativity in the fight against synthetic drugs and other threats to public safety.”

In October of 2014, Detectives from the Narcotics and Special Investigations Division (NSID) of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a search of Riyad Market and seized more than 500 packets of synthetic drugs. OAG attorneys subsequently sent a Notice of Illegal Activity to the owners of 800 Upshur Street NW, who were leasing the property to Riyad Market, informing them that illegal activity was taking place at the property and that they needed to take measures to abate it.

The property owners were cooperative and hired an attorney to initiate an eviction action against the owner of the market. An eviction trial was scheduled for August 28, 2015. OAG arranged to have NSID detectives testify to the possession and sale of synthetic drugs at the market. OAG also arranged for community members to testify to the negative impact that the store has had on the Petworth community.

After several meetings between the owner of the market, OAG attorneys, and the attorney representing the property owners, a judge in the District’s Landlord and Tenant Court resolved the case. Pursuant to the terms of the parties’ written agreement, the owner of Riyad Market must vacate 800 Upshur Street NW and return the keys to the owners of the property by November 13, 2015.

If the owner of Riyad Market fails to vacate 800 Upshur Street NW by that date, the property owners are entitled to a non-redeemable judgment for possession. This means that the property owners can file a legal motion authorizing U.S. Marshals to carry out the eviction.