Bay Area Convenience Store Sold Meth To Customers: Officials

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — San Francisco officials are seeking to get a Tenderloin neighborhood convenience store closed, claiming its drugs were being sold out of it.

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu announced a lawsuit against The Corner Store on Thursday, accusing its operators and owners of selling meth and enabling criminal activity in the neighborhood.

"The Corner Store didn’t just promote drug activity – it became the drug dealer," Chiu said. "Families and minors rely on convenience stores, and we will not tolerate a store that sells drugs. We are asking the Court to protect the community, shut this store down immediately, and level the playing field for law-abiding small businesses."

Chiu says the store has been leased as a commercial space since February 2023. Since then, police have responded to several crimes that have led to arrests, including fights, theft and vandalism, Chiu said.

During an inspection in November 2025, the San Francisco Police Department seized 48.1 grams of methamphetamine, nearly five pounds of cannabis, a ghost gun, illegal tobacco products, digital scales, small plastic baggies used to store narcotics, and glass pipes used to smoke methamphetamine and crack cocaine from the store, Chiu said.

A separate complaint led to officials discovering the store was selling tobacco products without a permit, Chiu said. The owner of the Corner Stone also owns SF Discount Market, which was sued in 2024 after authorities found it was operating an illegal gambling den, Chiu said.

As part of the lawsuit, Chiu is asking the store to be closed down for at least one year, in addition to penalties and injunctive relief.

Supervisor Bilal Mahmood said in a statement that the lawsuit was a " critical step toward shutting down the networks that fuel the drug trade."

"For too long, a small number of bad actors have exploited the Tenderloin’s most vulnerable residents while evading real consequences," Mahmood said. "When a corner store turns into a hub for drug activity, it undermines the safety and dignity of the entire neighborhood."