NEWS: The Age 13 Sep 03: Comic Chong's pipedreams go up in smoke

Comic Chong's pipedreams go up in smoke
Pittsburgh
September 13, 2003

Actor Tommy Chong of the spaced-out, dope-smoking comedy duo Cheech & Chong has been sentenced to nine months in prison and fined $US20,000 ($A30,000) for distributing marijuana pipes over the internet.

The 65-year-old Canadian-born entertainer, wearing a dark business suit and shoulder-length hair, asked US District Judge Arthur Schwab for a sentence of community service, saying in a statement read by his lawyer that he was not the perpetually stoned loser he portrays in Hollywood films.

"I have a drug problem with marijuana," Chong told the court later, saying he had overcome dependency through constructive hobbies including learning to dance the salsa.

But the judge ruled that jail time was appropriate for a felony charge of conspiring to distribute drug paraphernalia, to which Chong pleaded guilty last May.

Chong will also receive drug treatment behind bars and spend a year on probation.

Federal sentencing guidelines called for a prison term of six to nine months and a fine of up to $250,000.

Chong, who has no criminal record, is best known as the bearded and bespectacled member of Cheech & Chong, who with partner Cheech Marin became synonymous with the drug humour of the 1970s through comedy skits such as "Dave's Not Here" and movies such as Up In Smoke.

First gaining national notoriety in 1970, the pair made a series of comedy albums that won them a Grammy award and launched their Hollywood movie careers.

Prosecutors said Chong entered the distribution business in September 2001 and raised nearly $1.6 million in sales before federal agents raided his California-based company, Nice Dreams Enterprises, in February.

Federal authorities in Pittsburgh have convicted 22 other national drug-paraphernalia distributors since 2000 through a program called "Operation Pipe Dreams".

"(Chong) wasn't the biggest supplier. He was a relatively new player. But he had the ability to market products like no other," US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan said.

Four months ago, Chong admitted distributing thousands of marijuana pipes, including large water pipes known as bongs, through the websites [*] and [*]

Chong also admitted promoting drug paraphernalia at personal appearances around the United States.

On Thursday, Judge Schwab put the family-run company on three years' probation and ordered Chong to abandon his website domain names.

The judge also instructed Chong to forfeit $103,000 in sales proceeds.

Prosecutors said Chong would likely surrender to federal authorities within five weeks and serve out his time at a prison near his home in Pacific Palisades, California.

From: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/12/1063341768959.html?from=storyrhs

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Framed

I was sitting in the coffee shop, just minding my own affairs
when all of a sudden this policeman caught me unawares
He said "Is your name Pedro", I said "Yeah I guess so"
He said "Then come with me cause you're the man we've been looking for".

I said "Hey man I been framed
Hey no really man I was framed
Hey I never do nothing wrong man
But everytime I get the blame.... I been framed!"

They put me in the line up and let the bright lights shine
There was ten poor dudes like me standing in that line
I knew I was the victim of somebodies evil plan
When this scroungy looking dude came up and said..
"Yeah that's him man.." [Chong's voice]

"Hey wait a minute man I've been framed
Oh listen to me judge I was framed
I never do nothing wrong
Oh, but everytime I get the blame....Hey, I've been framed"

Then the prosecuting attorney started prosecuting on me
That dude gave me the first, second and third degrees
He said where were you on the night of July 29th
I said "Man I was home in bed"
He said "Judge that man's lying!"

"Hey wait a minute man I've been framed
Oh judge listen to me - really you gotta believe me - I was framed
I never do nothing wrong
Oh, but everytime I get the blame....Hey, I've been framed"

"Hey, look, now I deny the charges of having any weed
And I also deny the charges of taking any speed
I deny the charges of selling any grass
But when the judge looked down and said guilty
I said Judge you can kiss my..........Fraaaaamed...Fraaaamed.....man
I never do nothing wrong
But I always get the blame"

"Fraaammed man I was fraaammed....hey that wasn't even my stuff man....hey was just holding it for a friend...Aw, come on don't take me away...

...Framed"

The Red Album

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Actor Tommy Chong Reports to Prison
Thu Oct 9, 2:08 PM ET

PITTSBURGH - Actor-comedian Tommy Chong (news) reported to a privately run federal prison to serve his nine-month sentence for conspiring to sell bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet even as his attorneys prepared to argue for his release pending appeal.



Chong, 65, was sentenced Sept. 11 by U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab in Pittsburgh. He reported Wednesday to a minimum-security facility run for the Federal Bureau of Prisons near Bakersfield, Calif.

The judge has set an Oct. 16 hearing on a request by Chong's attorney to release the actor, best-known as the drug-addled Chong in the Cheech & Chong movies and comedy routines, while he appeals the sentence to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (news - web sites).

At his sentencing, Chong said he got carried away with the fictional persona, but had quit smoking pot and wanted to use his celebrity to help people stay off drugs.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Houghton argued that Chong grew wealthy glamorizing drug use and trivializing law enforcement in his films and said Chong used his characters to promote his business.

Chong's attorneys argued that he should be sentenced no more harshly than any of the other defendants thus far in the national drug-paraphernalia investigation. They wanted him to be sentenced to no more than six months' house arrest and six months' probation.

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