PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Police Bureau is trying to seize $30,462 from Shroom House after raiding its West Burnside storefront last December. Police are using a process called civil forfeiture, which allows police to seize property suspected of being involved in a crime.
Police busted the store on December 8, accusing the operators of illegally selling psychedelic mushrooms.
A civil lawsuit seeking civil forfeiture was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on March 23 and only recently obtained by KGW. City attorneys representing Portland police hope to confiscate $13,231 in cash recovered during the raid and $17,231 in funds from a bank account connected to the Shroom House and its owner, Steven Tachie.
In March, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Judith Matarazzo ordered the forfeiture proceedings be delayed until the criminal case is resolved.
A grand jury indicted Tachie and Jeramiahs Geronimo on 40 felony counts, including money laundering, unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
Tachie, 32, pleaded not guilty. His store manager, Geronimo, pleaded guilty to three felony charges in December. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped the remaining 37 charges. Geronimo will be sentenced to 10 days in jail, 80 hours of community service and three years of probation, according to court documents.
Two other Shroom House employees had their felony charges dropped in January.
Tachie was released from jail after posting bail of $150,000. In May, a Multnomah County judge allowed Tachie to return to his home in British Columbia, Canada while awaiting trial. According to court documents, Tachie needed to help care for his six-week-old daughter who is suffering from multiple health conditions.
Tachie could not be reached for comment. His trial date has not been set.
Shroom House has a sister store in Vancouver, B.C. — one of several retailers selling magic mushrooms in violation of Canadian law, according to published reports.
The Portland location opened on West Burnside in October 2022. The storefront advertised with bold signs and billboards. For roughly six weeks, customers lined up outside Shroom House, which openly and illegally sold psychedelic mushrooms, according to prosecutors.
The retail sale of psilocybin in Oregon is not allowed.
In 2020, Oregonians voted to approve Measure 2019 which created a legal psilocybin program. Starting in January 2023, adults 21 and over are allowed to take psilocybin mushrooms in a controlled, therapeutic environment — under the supervision of trained experts.
In May, Oregon regulators announced the first licensed psilocybin service center in the country. It is still in the practice phase and working with test clients before providing treatment to paying customers.