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PITTSBURGH (AP) - Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo
in Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison
and fined $20,000 on Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia
over the Internet.
The 65-year-old Chong was allowed to remain free until federal prison
officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Chong also forfeited about $100,000 for his arrest on federal drug
paraphernalia charges. He'll spend a year on probation after he's released
from prison.
Chong's business, Nice Dreams Enterprises, which made a line of marijuana
bongs and pipes, was to be sentenced later Thursday.
Chong pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to sell drug paraphernalia and
also pleaded guilty on behalf of Nice Dreams Enterprises, which did business
under the name Chong Glass.
Chong's plea came after federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents
purchased his paraphernalia and had them shipped to an undercover business
in Beaver Falls, a city northwest of Pittsburgh. Agents also confiscated his
company's paraphernalia during raids of "head shops" in numerous states and
confiscated "thousands of marijuana bongs and pipes" in a raid of his
Gardena, Calif., business.
His plea followed a series of raids in February by the DEA in which at least
55 people were charged with trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia.
Federal officials said the investigation targeted the nation's biggest
Internet distributors of paraphernalia.
Prosecutors said Chong was the first person to plead guilty in the raids.
The actor-comedian recently had a recurring role on Fox's "That '70s Show."
By DAN NEPHIN
The Associated Press
9/11/2003, 11:30 a.m. ET
in Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison
and fined $20,000 on Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia
over the Internet.
The 65-year-old Chong was allowed to remain free until federal prison
officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Chong also forfeited about $100,000 for his arrest on federal drug
paraphernalia charges. He'll spend a year on probation after he's released
from prison.
Chong's business, Nice Dreams Enterprises, which made a line of marijuana
bongs and pipes, was to be sentenced later Thursday.
Chong pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to sell drug paraphernalia and
also pleaded guilty on behalf of Nice Dreams Enterprises, which did business
under the name Chong Glass.
Chong's plea came after federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents
purchased his paraphernalia and had them shipped to an undercover business
in Beaver Falls, a city northwest of Pittsburgh. Agents also confiscated his
company's paraphernalia during raids of "head shops" in numerous states and
confiscated "thousands of marijuana bongs and pipes" in a raid of his
Gardena, Calif., business.
His plea followed a series of raids in February by the DEA in which at least
55 people were charged with trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia.
Federal officials said the investigation targeted the nation's biggest
Internet distributors of paraphernalia.
Prosecutors said Chong was the first person to plead guilty in the raids.
The actor-comedian recently had a recurring role on Fox's "That '70s Show."
By DAN NEPHIN
The Associated Press
9/11/2003, 11:30 a.m. ET
