Date: Mon, 22 Mar 93 11:43 CST From: srw@ihlpv.att.com Subject: Drama, Excitement, Surveillance ! This isn't directly related to brewing per se, but I thought the readers of this digest might be interested in a little drama that is unfolding at the Chicago Indoor Garden Supply store, 297 N. Barrington Rd, Streamwood, IL 60107. I stopped in this past Saturday (3-20-93) to pick up some liquid yeast and the owner asked an unusual question, "Would you like to see a surveillance camera?" At first I thought it was a trick question, but he lead me to the door, shoved a pair of binoculars in my hand, and directed my attention to a utility pole directly across the street. Strange. Power transformers don't usually have little windows on the front and high gain antennas on the top. The owner went on to allege that the Drug Enforcement Agency placed a camera there to see who visits the store. He claimed that they would send chase cars after the patrons to get the license tag and then in some cases show up at their door step demanding to search their home. The store not only sells the necessary supplies for making beer, but they also sell supplies for growing spices and herbs in your home. It appears that the DEA assumes all customers of the store are growing marijuana. The disturbing part, the owner alleges, is that the DEA does not have a search warrant when they show up that your door. It's been a couple of days now and no one has shown up at my door, but I can say for a fact that there was a suspicious looking transformer on the utility pole Saturday afternoon. I wonder if they are monitoring Handy Andy, Franks Nursery, K-mart, etc. I'm sure if you call the store at 708-885-8282 they will be glad to tell you the latest chapter in this unfolding drama. The local CBS affiliate, WBBM Channel 2, is going to do a news story tonight (Monday). This could be interesting. Steve Walk -- 708-713-7409 (Voice) 708-713-7963 (FAX) Room IHP 2F-520 Software Systems and Technologies Department AT&T Bell Laboratories 263 Shuman Boulevard Naperville, IL 60566-7050 att!ihlpv!srw or srw@ihlpv.att.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1993 22:46:20 CST From: "Roger Deschner " Subject: HomeBrew Store Staked out by Feds This story was on WBBM-TV, Channel 2, Chicago's CBS station, on this evening's 10 O'Clock News. Starting a week ago, the Drug Enforcement Administration has been watching Chicago Indoor Garden Supply of Streamwood, IL, from a camera somewhat ineptly camouflaged as an electric transformer on a utility pole across the street. This store does 70% of its business in homebrewing suppies, and has become one of the favorite suppliers to Chicago area homebrewers. Two homebrewers were interviewed by Channel 2 who had been followed home from the store by the Federalies, and had their homes ransacked for drugs. When Ch.2's news truck parked in front of a nearby storefront the DEA has been using as a staging location, an "interesting" scene unfolded with a Ch.2 reporter not getting very many answers from the Feds, who tried in vain to keep their cover. (Note: Ch.2 did obscure their faces as per standard practice when showing undercover agents.) Then a swarm of Streamwood Police Dept. cars came, sirens and lights going, to try to chase away the Ch.2 news crew. The whole slant of the story was that this was a case of the DEA going too far in "Operation Green Merchant", where they are going after stores in Suburban Chicago which they suspect are supplying marijuana growers with lights, fertilizer, etc. The presumption is that if they follow enough homebrewers and other purchasers of perfectly legal merchandize home from this store, eventually they'll find drugs in somebody's house, and then they can sieze and close the store. Since they have an officer assigned full-time to follow customers of this store home, they figure the odds are in their favor. Channel 2 Chicago is to be complimented for broadcasting this story, and for emphasizing several times during it that homebrewing is legal. Watch for further developments - WBBM-TV generally does a good job of following up on stories of this sort. ------------------------------ - - - - - - - - - end forwarded article - - - - - - - ====================================================================== Jeffrey Adam Johnson Internet: jeff_lp@frodo.b30.ingr.com ( "I speak only for myself." ) ====================================================================== --- # Origin: Planet Mirth BBS*Hayward,CA*510-786-6560*//14400// (1:215/130) * Origin: FidoNet <==> GodNet GateWay (143:404/0)