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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Drugs Michael Phelps' Bonggate: The Arrests Commence

Posted by David Schmader on Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 9:56 AM

South Carolina's WIS News 10 has the scoop:

New details have emerged about a party where Olympic champion Michael Phelps was spotted. On Feb. 2, a British tabloid published a picture of the 14-time Olympic gold medalist using a water pipe to smoke marijuana. The picture was taken at a party in Columbia back in November when Phelps was here for a visit.

Now it appears the case has expanded beyond Phelps' activities.....We've now learned that since investigators began trying to build a case, they've made eight arrests: seven for drug possession and one for distribution. These are arrests that resulted as the sheriff's department served search warrants. We've also learned that the department has located and confiscated that bong. Sources say the owner of the bong was trying to sell it on eBay for as much as $100,000. The owner, who wasn't even at the party, is one of the eight now charged.

Phelps is not one of those charged at this point, but the sheriff's department has strong evidence that matches the photo to the house on Blossom Street.

Dear God: Please send South Carolina a big fat hurricane, to give law enforcement something real to fuss over.

Thank you, Gawker.

Comments (30) RSS

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This actually stands? Do these people have any chance of being convicted? It's a fucking picture. How is it possible to prove it was marijuana from a picture?

Posted by Aislinn on February 10, 2009 at 10:06 AM

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
stupid potheads
Phelps will be a new man after a couple of months in a South Carolina prison.

Posted by Brubaker on February 10, 2009 at 10:07 AM

When do the CEOs of the Wall Street Firms who looted billions of our money do jail time?

Well?

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 10, 2009 at 10:10 AM

1: I wonder about the same thing, and wonder if Phelps' admission somehow affects things.

Posted by David Schmader on February 10, 2009 at 10:10 AM

You clueless Seattle Liberals are a laugh a minute.
There are places in the country where laws are actually enforced.

Posted by whaaaa! that's so infair! on February 10, 2009 at 10:11 AM

This is fucked up! Are they going to arrest everyone who has ever admitted to smoking pot? Obama should pardon Phelp's now.

#2 & 5 I hope you get cancer.

Posted by elswinger on February 10, 2009 at 10:13 AM

3
Not until they pry Obama's hand out of their wallets.

Posted by what- you thought things would actually change? silly boy! on February 10, 2009 at 10:13 AM

Too bad they were smoking pot instead of stealing billions of dollars or torturing human beings. If it were either of the latter, these people would probably still be free, with a book deal to boot.

Posted by Banna on February 10, 2009 at 10:13 AM

has the party-goer who sold the picture to the british tabloid been exposed yet?

have they been secreted away for their protection?

Posted by _adam_ on February 10, 2009 at 10:14 AM

I wish the jackass who took the picture and sold it could be sued for some sort of extortion or libel. Or at least not be able to profit off of such a douchenozzle-y move.

Posted by lily on February 10, 2009 at 10:20 AM

If they've got the resources for this then they obviously don't need a cent of government bailout money.

Posted by kinaidos on February 10, 2009 at 10:24 AM

gotta tip my hat to the dude trying to sell the bong on ebay.

Posted by hesher on February 10, 2009 at 10:36 AM

I don't care about potheads. I don't even smoke pot. Bill Savage says my top priorities are the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the economy. And shaving my legs and armpits (female only).

Posted by fuck you potheads, there are real problems that need me now! on February 10, 2009 at 10:36 AM

@10 ... I bet jackass who took the picture feels shitty enough (probably was indicted). But seroiusly, it's the South! My friend from North Carolina, is just so mentally warped from the sexual abuse that went on while she grew up (including the aborted rape baby! Why would they abort a rape baby in the oh so religious moral south? Because they are fucking hypocrits, that's why!), yet they process a celebrity pot crime!

So at @5! Go fuck yourself with a razor wire dildo if you think they have some "moral authority" down there!

I'm sorry, I just find it so infurriating the hyprocracy that passes for justice! And to anyone who thinks that this is "fair", ridiculous. I accept that life isn't fair ... but seriously, don't raise them closer to god all mighty and able to cast the first stone for being "good ole boys" because it makes me sick!

That said, what jackass Michael Phelps realy is for toking at a party down south! I had a friend, looser as he was, spent plenty of jailtime in Radford from being a pseudo hippy down there.

I was on the swim team in college. I mean, the work outs are INTENSE! You are so doped up on lactic acid and endorphins, that when you leave the pool and go out into the real world, you aren't quite right. Saturday nights we partied HARD! And we were gifted with the boddies that could process the toxins and look good doing it. Golden days I suppose.

It infurriates me the way we hold these celebrities to a higher standard to ourselves, and thanks to the internet and technology ... I thank god (if he exists) for my relative anonymity!

Posted by former tri-state on February 10, 2009 at 10:43 AM

@9,

Could he be among the eight arrested? Please, please, please.

Posted by keshmeshi on February 10, 2009 at 10:43 AM

if the case is based/built on that picture (or any picture) not taken by a police officer, would it not be hearsay? How can that be grounds for arresting Phelps?

I've got a picture of someone jaywalking, can the cops take that and ticket the offender?

stupid.

Posted by pot is not the problem here on February 10, 2009 at 10:45 AM

I live in Columbia and the Sheriff is nothing more than an under-qualified, incompetent , media whore. He will use any excuse to get his ugly mug on TV, and this is his big shot for national exposure. I guess the upside to this is that I don't have to see this moron on the local news scaring the shit out of everyone by telling us gangs are going to invade the county and kill us all.

Posted by tormato on February 10, 2009 at 10:45 AM

@17 ... so where are the Dukes of Hazzard when you need them?

Posted by former Tri-State on February 10, 2009 at 10:49 AM

Remember, if you see a rich celebrity getting high, sell the pic and ensure all your friends will do jail time in the never-ending success story called the Drug War ...

P.S.: You'll go away too.

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 10, 2009 at 10:54 AM

Fuck the south.

Posted by DOUG. on February 10, 2009 at 11:03 AM

@20 .... rescue the women, THEN fuck the south

:-)

Posted by former tri-state on February 10, 2009 at 11:06 AM

I was prepared to post my prayer for a South Carolinian Hurricane until i read #19. Douchbags selling photos that result in their freinds being raided and charged with felonies is punishment enough.

However, a douchbag that would sell a photo doesn't sound like the kind of person who would care about his freinds being charged with possession. He will probably be the "STAR" Witness for the sheriff.

Posted by Kelly from Portland, (OR, TX & ME) on February 10, 2009 at 11:06 AM

@1 that was my reaction, too, when I first saw the photo - how do they know it's pot in there? I have pix of me smoking Turkish tobacco in a fancy water pipe in Istanbul. It's just tobacco. Also like the SNL guy pointed out, who's the jerk who took this photo and sold it anyway?

Posted by Paul on February 10, 2009 at 11:14 AM

Down South success in life is built on piouty and not ingenuity.

And that's why they've been ass backwords and on the wrong side of innovation since this nation was created.

I wonder why Mark Twain was so cynical.

Yay south!

Posted by former tri-state on February 10, 2009 at 11:33 AM

Isn't this the sherrif that was accused of molesting the daughters of a couple of his cop buddies?

I'm sure that was thoroughly investigated.

Posted by Oh well on February 10, 2009 at 11:37 AM

FUCK THE SOUTH!! THE TIME IS NIGH FOR A NEW CIVIL WAR!!! RAH!!!

Posted by get out of my backyard on February 10, 2009 at 11:43 AM

@26. War? Why bother ... we should have let them go off and become Haiti!

Posted by har har har on February 10, 2009 at 11:48 AM

This is the most unAmerican thing I've ever heard. If 14 gold metals for your country doesn't earn you a couple of bong rips, than non of use have any business at happy hour later.

Posted by Dougsf on February 10, 2009 at 12:41 PM

That's what I was thinking. If the bong owner was trying to sell it on E-bay, than it would seem likely that his money grubbing could well include selling the picture. That would be some fast ass Karma for that fucker. Too bad Mr. Phelps has trouble, but who would go the the fucking asshole south anyway. They have more pinheads per square mile than anywhere in the world.

Posted by Vince on February 10, 2009 at 1:13 PM

That sheriff is whacked! All he wants in face time. It's bs.....Ppl just need to lay of Mike and leave him be...at least it isn't steroids.....We all know MP is B.A. and ppl always want to hear bad things about ppl who do great things. He's young. You live and you learn.

Posted by Ambs on February 10, 2009 at 8:32 PM