The Raid On the Oakland OTO, Another Perspective

by Enki Xenobis Kuriosh

Almost 3 years before this raid took place, It was my experience that I had come to the order seeking instruction and Community. I was surprised to find that the members of this Lodge where in fact steeped in the use of drugs and involved in selling it. As the years went by the over all character of the Lodge in my opinion began a decline from bad to worse. The place took on a air of rouge dungeons and dragons, petty squabbles and brazen thievery and the smell of badly cooked cheap lamb. I and several others spent nearly a year attempting to recover books records and artifacts that had been loaned in good faith to the lodge. Finally after some brazen threats by a new leader, we where forced to enter the premise with Berkeley police on hand to manage a smooth transaction and avoid future confusion. After the Raid we where informed by the police that this particular establishment was rife with meth. Dealers and we would be wise to permanently part ways. Which we did. I am happy to say that there are many lodges out there who conduct their dealing in very professional and straight forward manners but its the few bad apples that can really spoil the pie for us all so when you read the account given by Oakland members of the raid I would caution you and ask you to be skeptical of there claims of wide eyed innocence and we simple folk where just praying quietly in our temple whenstory. If you break the laws of the country your Lodge resides in you are responsible, and if you treat people with arrogance and disrespect your name will gain ill repute. It was not anyone I knew who tipped off the authorities about the dealing and manufacture of meth at the Oakland Lodge but they where so blatant and open about it I dont think any one had to.

The Oakland lodge is a stain on the OTO and remains one to this day.

E.X.K.