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By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Federal authorities charged 55 people with trafficking in
illegal drug paraphernalia in an investigation they said targeted the nation's
biggest Internet distributors of marijuana bongs, crack pipes and other drug
abuse gear.
In coordinated raids on Monday, officials
confiscated "thousands and thousands of tons"
of paraphernalia from companies boasting up to
$50 million in annual sales, said Mary Beth
Buchanan, U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh whose
office is leading the "Operation Pipe Dreams"
investigation along with the Drug Enforcement
Administration.
"No one would possibly use these items for
smoking tobacco," Buchanan said at a Justice
Department (news - web sites) news
conference.
Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web
sites) said the sale of drug paraphernalia has
exploded on the Internet, making it easier for
teenagers and young adults to buy it. The items
often are disguised as such things as lipstick
cases to escape detection and are marketed
under code names and symbols.
"Quite simply, the illegal drug paraphernalia
industry has invaded the homes of families
across the country without their knowledge,"
Ashcroft said.
Organizations advocating the legalization of
marijuana accused Ashcroft of grandstanding.
"At a time when the rest of the country is
worried about terrorism, this attorney general is
going after people who sell pipes," said Keith Stroup, the founder of the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana laws. "Surely he has
something better to do with his time."
Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, suggested
the busts were aimed at scoring political points against a perceived
counterculture.
"It would be more logical — although I'm not suggesting this — to prosecute
people who sell beer mugs because of the poison consumed in them," he
said.
The government was obtaining court orders to shut down 11 Internet sites
that peddle the paraphernalia, with visitors to those web sites redirected to a
DEA site that cites the law against sale of such items. The Internet sites go
by names such as Smokelab.com, Aheadcase.com and puffpipes.com,
according to the Justice Department.
"This is a devastating blow to the drug paraphernalia business," said John
Walters, the White House drug czar.
The charges were brought in federal grand jury indictments in Pittsburgh
against 27 people, in Des Moines, Iowa against nine people and in several
other states against 19 others. The investigation stretches from Oregon and
California to Texas, Michigan, South Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Federal law makes it a crime to sell products mainly intended for the use of
illegal drugs, including such things as bongs, marijuana pipes, "roach" clips,
miniature spoons and scales. Those charged with selling and conspiring to
sell such items face up to three years on prison, maximum fines of
$250,000 and forfeiture of warehouses, machinery and other property.
Most of those charged were allegedly involved in large-scale manufacturing
and distribution of the gear, although there were some individual "head
shops" targeted mainly in western Pennsylvania, Buchanan said.
A search warrant in the Iowa probe, dubbed "Operation Headhunter," turned
up more than $2 million in illegal paraphernalia, authorities said.
The investigation was led by the DEA along with the U.S. Marshals, Secret
Service, Customs Service and Postal Inspection Service. Six U.S. attorneys
were also involved.
"People selling drug paraphernalia are in essence no different than drug
dealers," said John Brown, acting DEA chief. "They are as much a part of
drug trafficking as silencers are a part of criminal homicide."
Ashcroft went out of this way to praise the DEA, which was criticized earlier
this year in a White House budget office assessment of government
performance as being "unable to demonstrate its progress" in the war on
illegal drugs.
"This is a great victory for the DEA," Ashcroft said.
___
WASHINGTON - Federal authorities charged 55 people with trafficking in
illegal drug paraphernalia in an investigation they said targeted the nation's
biggest Internet distributors of marijuana bongs, crack pipes and other drug
abuse gear.
In coordinated raids on Monday, officials
confiscated "thousands and thousands of tons"
of paraphernalia from companies boasting up to
$50 million in annual sales, said Mary Beth
Buchanan, U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh whose
office is leading the "Operation Pipe Dreams"
investigation along with the Drug Enforcement
Administration.
"No one would possibly use these items for
smoking tobacco," Buchanan said at a Justice
Department (news - web sites) news
conference.
Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web
sites) said the sale of drug paraphernalia has
exploded on the Internet, making it easier for
teenagers and young adults to buy it. The items
often are disguised as such things as lipstick
cases to escape detection and are marketed
under code names and symbols.
"Quite simply, the illegal drug paraphernalia
industry has invaded the homes of families
across the country without their knowledge,"
Ashcroft said.
Organizations advocating the legalization of
marijuana accused Ashcroft of grandstanding.
"At a time when the rest of the country is
worried about terrorism, this attorney general is
going after people who sell pipes," said Keith Stroup, the founder of the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana laws. "Surely he has
something better to do with his time."
Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, suggested
the busts were aimed at scoring political points against a perceived
counterculture.
"It would be more logical — although I'm not suggesting this — to prosecute
people who sell beer mugs because of the poison consumed in them," he
said.
The government was obtaining court orders to shut down 11 Internet sites
that peddle the paraphernalia, with visitors to those web sites redirected to a
DEA site that cites the law against sale of such items. The Internet sites go
by names such as Smokelab.com, Aheadcase.com and puffpipes.com,
according to the Justice Department.
"This is a devastating blow to the drug paraphernalia business," said John
Walters, the White House drug czar.
The charges were brought in federal grand jury indictments in Pittsburgh
against 27 people, in Des Moines, Iowa against nine people and in several
other states against 19 others. The investigation stretches from Oregon and
California to Texas, Michigan, South Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Federal law makes it a crime to sell products mainly intended for the use of
illegal drugs, including such things as bongs, marijuana pipes, "roach" clips,
miniature spoons and scales. Those charged with selling and conspiring to
sell such items face up to three years on prison, maximum fines of
$250,000 and forfeiture of warehouses, machinery and other property.
Most of those charged were allegedly involved in large-scale manufacturing
and distribution of the gear, although there were some individual "head
shops" targeted mainly in western Pennsylvania, Buchanan said.
A search warrant in the Iowa probe, dubbed "Operation Headhunter," turned
up more than $2 million in illegal paraphernalia, authorities said.
The investigation was led by the DEA along with the U.S. Marshals, Secret
Service, Customs Service and Postal Inspection Service. Six U.S. attorneys
were also involved.
"People selling drug paraphernalia are in essence no different than drug
dealers," said John Brown, acting DEA chief. "They are as much a part of
drug trafficking as silencers are a part of criminal homicide."
Ashcroft went out of this way to praise the DEA, which was criticized earlier
this year in a White House budget office assessment of government
performance as being "unable to demonstrate its progress" in the war on
illegal drugs.
"This is a great victory for the DEA," Ashcroft said.
___
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