Montana Pipe Shop Owners Indicted

[SirBlazinBowl]

The U.S. government indicted the owners of five pipe and tobacco accessory shops in Montana this month, alleging they were distributing illegal drug paraphernalia.

In May, Drug Enforcement Administration agents in plainclothes and unmarked cars swept through Missoula, Bozeman, Kalispell, Great Falls and Billings, seizing pipes, cash, clothing items and business records from one store in each city.

Other stores selling similar merchandise in Montana were apparently not targeted.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Van de Wetering would not comment on why the five specific stores were raided and not others.

"We want to bend over backward to ensure that the people and the five businesses who have been indicted in Montana receive a fair trial," Van de Wetering said. "Part of that means I can't comment on why these guys are being indicted and no one else, or why they're being indicted now and not before. I need to emphasize that they are innocent until proven guilty."

In Missoula, the seizure forced David Sil to close The Vault, a small pipe shop he opened eight years ago on West Broadway.

"It certainly ruined my life," Sil said. "They took everything, including all records and tax information, employee benefit money, medical expense money, rent money and all operating capital."

Sil, 60, said even though his was a small business, The Vault provided income for six families and individuals.

Sil's attorney, Martin Judnich, said his client is bewildered by the unexpected seizures.

"David Sil was shocked to find out that after more than seven years at that location and without warning or provocation, the federal authorities seized essentially the entire store," Judnich wrote in a letter.

Judnich said for nearly a decade, Sil believed he was operating the store in full compliance with state and federal laws.

"It seems to me there were selected shops around the state that were seized at the same time and without warning," Judnich said. "My client closed his business because the DEA seized all his inventory, so there really wasn't much of a business to continue."

In a letter addressed to "My Fellow Montanans," Sil wrote:

"Because I wanted to be in compliance with all laws, including federal laws, I wrote to the FBI and ATF, declaring the exact nature of my operation.

"The last line of the letter stated, 'If there be any questions as concerns legal compliance, please let me know.'

"On May 18, 2005, the DEA let me know by traumatizing my store manager for 8 hours and simply taking just about everything."

Sil speculated that the seizures were government retaliation.

"Maybe they targeted Montana because the medical marijuana initiative I-148 passed last November," Sil said.

But Van de Wetering said the raid was not part of a nationwide investigation.

In 2003, the DEA indicted 50 individuals on charges of trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia.

The charges stemmed from two nationwide investigations, code-named "Operation Pipe Dream" and "Operation Headhunter." They included indictments against national distributors and businesses nationwide.

"The department has done other cases like these, but this is not a part of Operation Pipe Dream," Van de Wetering said.

And while the seizures didn't close all of the shops, they left everyone equally baffled.

Bob Holstine, store manager of The Grateful Shed in Bozeman, said pipes and tobacco accessories are only a small part of the business. And he can't figure out why the DEA would confiscate that merchandise after 15 years of operations.

"We've only got two glass cases of pipe tobacco stuff," Holstine said. "But we sell more clothes than J.C. Penney."

The owner of The Grateful Shed, Steve Andriakos, was scheduled to appear in Missoula federal court Tuesday, but his flight was canceled because of the fog.

An arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 1, at which time all parties listed in the indictments are expected to appear.

The maximum penalty for selling drug paraphernalia is three years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Newshawk: SirBlazinBowl - 420Times.com
Source: Missoulian (MT)
Copyright: 2005 Missoulian
Contact: oped@missoulian.com
Website:http://www.missoulian.com/
Author: Tristan Scott, of the Missoulian

[ScottyBThatIsMe]

Do not try to look for rhyme or reason in these indictments. To put it simply, It's just a bunch of Government fat-cats getting their jollies by crusading for their, "Just Cause," which no one in particular cares for any longer. Excluding hardcore bible thumpers and rich, conservative alcohol/tabacco execs that is.