NEW AT 11:00, AN UNUSUAL
BUST FOR OAKLAND POLICE.
OFFICERS RAID A CHURCH AND SEIZE
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF
WEED AND MAGIC MUSHROOMS.
KPIX 5'S JOE VAZQUEZ SPOKE
TO THE LEADER OF THAT CHURCH WHO
SAYS THE DRUGS ARE PART OF THE
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.
Reporter: THE SURVEILLANCE
VIDEO SHOWS A DRUG RAID IN
PROGRESS.
OAKLAND POLICE MOVE THE SECURITY
GUARD OUT OF THE WAY, BUST OPEN
A SAFE, AND SEIZE VALUABLES.
DRUGS AND CASH.
THEY GET A LOT OF PRODUCT
ALL TOGETHER IN THE RANGE OF
ABOUT $200,000 WORTH OF STUFF.
IT WAS MAINLY MUSHROOMS AND
CANNABIS PRODUCT AND A LITTLE
BIT OF CASH.
THAT PRODUCT BELONGED TO
DAVE HODGES AND HIS CHURCH
CALLED THE CHURCH OF ETHIOOGENIC
PLANTS.
HODGES BELIEVES POLICE WENT
OVERBOARD.
NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE WELL
OVER 20 OAKLAND PD OFFICERS OUT
THERE, BUT THEY HAD EIGHT
FIREFIGHTERS TO COME BREAK INTO
OUR SAFE.
REALLY I'M SURPRISED THEY DIDN'T
BURN DOWN THE BUILDING.
Reporter: OAKLAND POLICE SAY
THIS WAS AN ILLEGAL BUSINESS
THAT WAS SELLING HALLUCINOGENIC
MUSHROOMS AND CANNABIS AND
CONDUCTED THE RAID BASED ON A
NEIGHBOR'S COMPLAINT.
POLICE ARE NOT SAYING WHETHER
THEY BELIEVE THIS IS A
LEGITIMATE HOUSE OF WORSHIP.
THAT WILL BE UP TO THE COURTS TO
DECIDE, BUT, QUOTE, THIS IS THE
FIRST FOR PROFIT RELIGIOUS
ESTABLISHMENT I'VE SEEN IN MY 28
YEARS AS AN OAKLAND COP.
HODGES INSISTS THIS IS A REAL
CHURCH WITH HE SAYS MORE THAN
20,000 FOLLOWERS AND SAYS THE
CANNABIS AND MAGIC MUSHROOMS ARE
AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.
THE CORE CONCEPT OF WHAT WE
BELIEVE IS OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS
CAME ACROSS THESE MUSHROOMS AND
BEING A HUNGRY MONKEY WHO FIND A
BUNCH OF THESE MUSHROOMS, THEY
WERE LIKELY TO EAT A BUNCH OF
THEM.
AND IF YOU EAT A LOT OF THESE
MUSHROOMS, YOU GET SOME VERY
INTENSE EXPERIENCES THAT CAN
