PITTSBURGH - Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison. Chong also forfeited about $100,000 for his arrest on federal drug paraphernalia charges. He'll spend a year on probation after he's released from prison.
His Nice Dreams Enterprises, which made a line of marijuana bongs and pipes, was to be sentenced later Thursday. Under federal law, the business itself can be placed on probation or face other sanctions. Chong pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to sell drug paraphernalia and pleaded guilty on behalf of Nice Dreams Enterprises, which did business under the name Chong Glass.
At one point before his sentencing he told the judge that "he did have a marijuana problem in the past" biut he overcame it by focusing his energies on Salsa dancing.