Chong pleads guilty in sale of drug pipes

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Tommy Chong, who played one-half of the dope-smoking duo in Cheech and Chong movies, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to conspiring to sell drug paraphernalia.
Chong also pleaded guilty on behalf of his business, Nice Dreams Enterprises, which made a line of marijuana bongs and pipes.
Doing business as Chong Glass, Nice Dreams Enterprises sold glass pipes and bongs that Chong acknowledged were used to smoke marijuana.
Chong's plea came after federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents bought his paraphernalia and had them shipped to an undercover business in Beaver Falls. 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.
The raids were part of a series 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.
First to plead guilty
Chong is the first person to plead guilty in the raids, said U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan. He waived his right to be indicted by a grand jury immediately before pleading guilty.
Chong's attorneys said he was accepting responsibility, but noted he was careful not to sell to minors.
After the hearing, Chong said he did not use drugs. "I don't smoke; I quit," he said.
Chong, 64, was released on recognizance bail, but must undergo drug testing and remain in the U.S. District Court jurisdiction of his Pacific Palisades home except to travel for work and court appearances.
He faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced Sept. 11.
The actor-comedian, who recently had a recurring role on Fox's "That '70s Show," said he planned to return to what he's always done: speaking "the truth" in his comedy routines. He was scheduled to appear in Florida on Tuesday night.
The company can face a maximum fine of $500,000, and Buchanan said she will seek a large enough fine to put it out of business. Chong must also surrender the company's Internet domain name.