Federal Agents Seize 10,000 Copies of a DVD: FBI Agents Confiscate a/k/a Tommy Chong

For a time, the Western Pennsylvania District topped the nation in the number of "anti-terrorism" prosecutions, largely because dozens of Iraqi immigrant truck-drivers were prosecuted for paying off a motor-vehicles official to obtain commercial-drivers licenses. The US attorney responsible for this "anti-terrorism" victory is Mary Beth Buchanan.



Ms.Buchanan has also protected the homeland by serving as the director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys in 2004 and 2005. That was the period when federal prosecutors were pushed to pursue criminal cases against political opponents of the Bush administration and, as a result, at least 5 top federal prosecutors were dismissed because they would not pursue politically motivated prosecutions. Ms. Buchanan has denied any involvement in the firings. And it's unlikely that investigators will uncover any ties to Ms. Buchanan, as long as she is a federal prosecutor. Which may be some time yet, as Ms. Buchanan is currently refusing to turn in her resignation (as is customary when a new President is elected) because it doesn't "serve justice."



Ms. Buchanan is nationally famous for pursuing "justice" even outside her district. For example, Ms. Buchanan prosecuted actor/comedian Tommy Chong in Pittsburgh for selling marijuana bongs via his California company. Mr. Chong cooperated with the prosecution and agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute drug paraphernalia in exchange for non-prosecution of his wife, Shelby, and his son, Paris. Mr. Chong argued for community service and home detention, but was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison (he served time October 8, 2003 to July 7, 2004). Of the 55 people targeted in the investigation, Tommy Chong was the only one without previous convictions that received jail time.

Earlier this year (May 7th, 2008), federal agents raided Spectrum Labs in Newport, Kentucky pursuant to an investigation of Spectrum Labs’ detoxication products. The raid, one of nine during the day, was part of Operation True Test, an investigation led by U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan. The investigation targeted companies that sell "masking products" that are supposed to help drug-users pass employer drug tests. Of the nine search warrants issued, none were for businesses within Mary Beth Buchanan's district, the Western District of Pennsylvania. In executing the search warrant at Spectrum Labs, the federal agents seized over 10,000 copies of Tommy Chong’s yet to be released documentary, a/k/a Tommy Chong.