MARQUETTE -- The doors to Backroom Obsessions in Marquette will permanently stay closed following an agreement between the owner and the Marquette County Prosecuting Attorney in circuit court on Thursday.
The adult novelty store, located on Front Street in Marquette, was under a temporary restraining order issued by Judge Thomas Solka that declared the business to be a public nuisance in January. Owner Michael Jestila faces felony charges of unlawful delivery and manufacture of controlled substances.
According to the prosecutors office, he was selling bath salts and other analog substances at Backroom. Prosecuting attorney Matt Wiese says the closing of the store is a great step to get designer drugs out of the community.
"The message for others who may think they want to do this, is that this is an approach that will be taken to shut down the business so they can't continue to bring these harmful substances into our community," said Wiese.
As part of Thursday's decision, a criminal charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance will be dropped. The agreement also prohibits Jestila from operating any business in Marquette County.
Jestila will have 90 days to remove personal property from the premises.
He also owns and operates a Backroom Obsessions store in Houghton County.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC