A Meth ring in Colorado was using comic books to launder the profits of their endeavors.
Kind of brings a whole new meaning to the term “Stash Wednesday,” doesn’t it.
I’m totally serious. You can find out more here:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/25/meth.ring.arrests/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
PAD
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Most. Expensive. Collection. Ever.
And Gordon Lee thought he had comic troubles…
I bet back issues of the FF that featured Crystal sold at a premium.
Ow. Ow ow OW.
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Wish I’d thought of that.
What about the Speedball title?
Wait – what happens with the collection? Will it end as “evidence” in a cardboard box in the police archives?
I’m curious about the fate of the comics. I wouldn’t be surprised if police destroy them because they would have traces of meth all over them.
Considering that up to 90% of American money has traces of cocaine on it, that seems like a problematic policy.
Not quite the same, since meth, or the by-products of it’s production, can be absorbed through the skin off of such surfaces.
I don’t think they were actually wrapping the drugs up in comic books- they were using the “value” of the comics to explain unusually large sums of money being made by their business, aka laundering.
ftw, I posted this on Facebook last night =P =D
I don’t think they were actually wrapping the drugs up in comic books
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I don’t believe that’s the case either. However, there is the potential that these comics were in and around meth labs, or at the very least in contact with those who had been around labs.
One would think there would be a police auction, as often happens with evidence worth selling. This will be known as the REALLY HIGH collection.
HA HA HA HA HA!
Does Cliff Meth know that his ring has been found?
Hmmm. I guess that the police became suspicious due to huge amount of SPEEDBALL comic books.
So I guess this means comic books really *are* addictive!
Well its nice to see deviations from the stereotypes associated with comic book readers…well kinda sorta.
Is Meth Ring one of the new Lantern Rings from DC?
Thanks. One of the best responses I’ve heard to this story so far. Got a good laugh.
“first-edition Superman and Batman titles”? I’m surprised they didn’t use Supergirl and Batgirl instead. You’d think they’d have liked super-heroins.
I just thought of something. This article proves that the world has evolved. How long ago would this article have read “Comics cause young to deal drugs”
I also want to know if the amazing Spidey drug issues are in that collection.
Not surprising at all. For years I’ve thought that comics would be an incredibly easy front for laundering money.
Serendipity… just tonight I was checking the window of Madrid’s poshiest comic book store (yes, there is such thing) and comenting to my uncle how those guys were either into burning money or a front for a money laundering operation.
Ive had though of colectibles as ideal money cleaning gigs for a long time. Given how many vintage record shops operate, opening just a few hours a week, I wouldnt be surprised if they busted a few of them and found them to be rotten to the core. And dont get me started with Magic The Gathering and that kind of stuff.
I wonder how many mothers will warn their kids away from comics now because they don’t want them involved in a drug shoot out or getting high.
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The real question is will the police auction off the comics in lots or one at a time?
So how does this work–they buy a comic at $1000 and then pretend to have sold it for $5000, something like that?
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When I lived in Denver there were video stores that HAD to be money laundering schemes. They had nothing but walls of old videos and as far as I could tell, I was their only customer. But they stayed open. I guess they could claim to be making all kinds of money unless there were FBI agents outside actually watching how many people went in.
Actually, they just need to re-sell it at $1000 again and they would have cleaned that money. See, they could feign the sales but for certain amounts there has to be some kind of record and accountability. You dont set up a front to actually make more money, but to clean as much money as you can FAST. The easiest way is to buy at $1000 and sell at $950 or even less, insuring toy will get rid of the colectibles fast and getting clean, fully accountable money in return. If you lose 5-10% of the original dirty money during laundry, you assume it as operational costs.
Wow. I must be REALLY old. When I read PAD’s post, all I could think of was, “what…Charlton’s back in business?”
Everything old is new again.