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 " <U52983@UICVM.UIC.EDU>
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)