You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
-Lurid Crime Tales-
FBI Confiscates Tommy Chong Documentary
2008-05-09
Actor and comic Tommy Chong says he is linked to FBI raids Wednesday in Newport and Clermont County's Union Township. Chong tells Local 12 federal agents were after thousands of DVD copies of a documentary he recently made. Tommy Chong, 30 years ago, appeared in the movie that made him famous, "Up In Smoke."

But today, Tommy Chong is 69-years-old and selling a different movie, called "The United States of America Vs. Tommy Chong." The documentary details Chong's 2003 federal prosecution and guilty plea for distributing drug paraphernalia. He was selling pot pipes online. Chong served nine months in prison.

Wednesday night, Chong told Local 12 he's the focus of an FBI raid of two, local offices. "They apparently confiscated 10,000 copies of the movie, "a/k/a Tommy Chong," said Chong.

Only Local 12 cameras were on Mt. Carmel Tobasco Road Wednesday evening, watching federal agents raid the offices of 513 Ventures Agents also took evidence from the Spectrum Labs offices in Newport. The companies market "detoxification products," meant to help someone pass a drug test.

But Chong says agents seized 10,000 DVDs of his documentary. Federal prosecutors may be targeting Chong for trying to profit off his prosecution. "I'm not profiting off the story of my first amendment violation at all," said Chong.

The FBI isn't confirming any of this. In fact, agents simply aren't saying a thing about why they conducted the raids or what they were after.

Local 12 contacted one of the local people connected to Spectrum Labs and its affiliates, a Delhi man named Chris Swain. Mr. Swain said he would not have any comment.
Posted by:Anonymoose

#9  I heard an interview with Chong a few years ago about the bust. When they came in they didn't find what the warrant was for (the bongs he sells online) and actually needed his help to find something illegal in his house. The Radio DJ and him had a fun time with that. You're busting Chong and you need help?

I'm not sure if it's time to end the war on drugs or not (i lean towards end it) but clearly we need someone sane in command. This is a waste of resources and an embarrassment all around. Perhaps we should put Chong in charge of the War on Drugs, he at least was able to find the illegal stuff in his own home.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2008-05-09 15:26  

#8  The FBI isn't confirming any of this. In fact, agents simply aren't saying a thing about why they conducted the raids or what they were after.

They need more training. Like the training that enables them to determine in about thirty seconds that the Muslim they just busted with a carload of explosives is "not terrorism related".
Posted by: tu3031   2008-05-09 13:25  

#7  Mt. Carmel Tobasco Road
Tasty naming scheme for the city byways.
Posted by: Gomez Gromoter7489   2008-05-09 10:08  

#6  Mt. Carmel Tobasco Road
Tasty naming scheme for the city byways.
Posted by: Gomez Gromoter7489   2008-05-09 10:07  

#5  What could you possible say about yourself in a documentary that would give the FBI reason to raid your businesses?
I'd like to see them forced to hand every bit of that stuff back to him by a jury. A good bit of damages, and maybe even some charges for violating due-process for the feds might encourage cooler heads to prevail in the future. Thankfully, our forefathers put something into the constitution to override bullshit like this.

A Jury.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2008-05-09 08:23  

#4  Like the FBI have nothing better to do?

I don't know the Tommy Chong case particulars but I fear we DO have some of the elements of a Police State [corupted by power] that has in a few well documented instances destroying Citizen's Lives, families and Homes.

These cases TEST our system to the Max, for when the Police trample our rights we have solely our Judges and Juries then to protect us!
Posted by: RD   2008-05-09 03:44  

#3  Like the FBI have nothing better to do?
Posted by: Penguin   2008-05-09 01:12  

#2  This smack of jack-booted thuggery, police state tactics.

There is a right to free speech, and he should be able to tell his story.

The war on drugs has simply gone too far - between lunacy like this, and the nearly weekly shootings of innocent civilians in no-knock military style raids, intrusive laws and rights-trashing cops and judges, we are in severe danger of losing the freedoms many of us fought for.

I believe the typical illicit drugs are harmful, but I believe that the harm from law enforcement's turn to assualting citizens (instead of protecting nad serving htem) is becoming far greater than the harm the drugs do in society.

The sipping point is here. STOP.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-05-09 00:29  

#1  I have to agree with Chong on this issue. His right to tell his story - as sordid as it may be - is paramount, as is my right to hear it from both him and from the federal prosecutors.
Posted by: McZoid   2008-05-09 00:17  

00:00