# Let's Pit the DEA...one more time. (RO) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 2, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654 "2012-05-02T16:32:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/181 "2013-07-31T16:26:03Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > So he _was_ arrested? I’m confused about how he’s both there by his own choice and forced to come to terms with being jailed. He was brought into custody. Apaprently they planned on releasing him relatively soon. I doubt we will ever get a competing narrative from the DEA (but we know the DEA (or US Attorney) can’t have determined that anything to diabolical took place, because no discipline nor any charges). My analysis is mostly informed by the principle that “things usually occur in the way that they usually do.” And it is a _lot_ more usual for a relatively well-to-do kid picked up at house with multiple firearms and controlled substances to react poorly to a DEA investigation than it is for the DEA to mistreat rich kids (who (LOL) “accidentally” consumed some meth that was “left by someone else” in the cell (remember that _precious_ bullshit component of his narrative?!?)). ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/182 "2013-07-31T16:32:22Z")
So they _did_ lock him in a cell for 5 days even though he was ‘free to go’? ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/183 "2013-07-31T16:43:15Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > So they _did_ lock him in a cell for 5 days even though he was ‘free to go’? Who knows? At times I think Chong just chose not to leave (and wanted to dare the DEA to remove him bodily). Maybe he decompensated and was placed in some sort of involuntary custody. I acknowledge that this is the _point foible_ of an otherwise compelling, exculpatory narrative. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/184 "2013-07-31T16:46:38Z")
I think that’s understating it. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/185 "2013-07-31T16:47:18Z")
Well, that and the “no food or water” thing. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/186 "2013-07-31T16:53:27Z")
And the fact that DEA released a statement admitting they’d forgotten he was in the cell. Other than that, counselor… ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/187 "2013-07-31T16:58:43Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, that and the “no food or water” thing. But, at least the were kind enough to give him meth, eh? What do you make of that? Do you think there was methamphetamine in the cell before he got there? And, supposing that it was a leave-behind, what do you make of his claim that he just ingested random substances he found in the cell? Plausible or implausible? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/188 "2013-07-31T17:10:57Z")
What am I supposed to make of it? I’m fairly sure they were still supposed to feed him even if he’d smuggled a truckload of drugs into the cell. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/189 "2013-07-31T17:23:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What am I supposed to make of it? I’m fairly sure they were still supposed to feed him even if he’d smuggled a truckload of drugs into the cell. Right, but his account about how and why he came to take the methamphetamine suggests that we are not getting the straight story from him. He stated he found in the cell and [took it to stay awake](http://crooksandliars.com/taxonomy/term/32187). Well, just how did he know it was going to keep him awake? If it really happened the way he stated, it could have been insecticide for all he knew and would put him in a coma. So, I decline to accept Chong’s account that he found this methamphetamine in the cell, which he certainly didn’t bring in himself. Now, given that we see he is not above a little self-serving deception in recounting the events at issue, tell me why we should be so trusting on other, equally hard-to-believe points. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/190 "2013-07-31T17:39:01Z")
I’m not seeing where any of the other bits are particularly hard to believe. The DEA admits they forgot he was in there, which raises a pretty strong inference that they forgot to feed and water him. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/191 "2013-07-31T18:47:30Z")
YAAYYY! My wish is coming true!!! \*\*Kimmy \*\*continues to bring teh funneh! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/192 "2013-07-31T18:49:01Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Right, but his account about how and why he came to take the methamphetamine suggests that we are not getting the straight story from him. He stated he found in the cell and [took it to stay awake](http://crooksandliars.com/taxonomy/term/32187). Well, just how did he know it was going to keep him awake? If it really happened the way he stated, it could have been insecticide for all he knew and would put him in a coma. So, I decline to accept Chong’s account that he found this methamphetamine in the cell, which he certainly didn’t bring in himself. Someone who’s experienced with meth would likely be able to identify it by color, texture, smell and/or taste (or so they tell me). So it’s not impossible, but I agree that it’s much more likely he brought it in himself. It just doesn’t seem particularly relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/193 "2013-07-31T19:36:56Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > tell me why we should be so trusting We don’t need to trust the kid at all fucktard. The DEA admitted they forgot him. You are why people hate lawyers in general. And now you are giving Full House a bad name. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/194 "2013-07-31T19:38:04Z")
Aw, give Full House a little cred for the bad rep Full House gets. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/195 "2013-07-31T19:44:26Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Someone who’s experienced with meth would likely be able to identify it by color, texture, smell and/or taste (or so they tell me). So it’s not impossible, but I agree that it’s much more likely he brought it in himself. It just doesn’t seem particularly relevant. Just to be clear, I’m not saying “Because he took methamphetamine, he deserved whatever abuse came his way,” but rather, “Because he has not been forthright about his taking methamphetamine, we should not accept all of his allegations uncritically” and maybe also a little of “Because he took meth _while in DEA custody_, we should perhaps expect that more than a little poor judgment was exercised by Chong, which may have contributed to his predicament.” ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/196 "2013-07-31T20:23:33Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Just to be clear, I’m not saying “Because he took methamphetamine, he deserved whatever abuse came his way,” but rather, “Because he has not been forthright about his taking methamphetamine, we should not accept all of his allegations uncritically” and maybe also a little of “Because he took meth _while in DEA custody_, we should perhaps expect that more than a little poor judgment was exercised by Chong, which may have contributed to his predicament.” Are you saying that the guy stayed in the cell on purpose? That he could have left at any time? Lets just accept that the kid had the discipline to starve himself then. I have another question. Are people allowed to just hang out in US prisons if they want to? Because surely if the kid just decided to not to leave, there would be a trail of DEA agent reports saying to their superior “hey, this kid won’t leave, what do we do now?” If you say that the DEA hadn’t forgotten about the kid, then surely there would be multiple times that somebody went to the cell and said “hey kid, seriously, you need to fuck off now?” This is all just common sense **Mr Dribbler** , simple logic, if the kid had refused to leave do you not think the DEA would have said that, instead of admitting that they fucked up? Or, more likely, are you just fucking retarded? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/197 "2013-07-31T20:26:23Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > So they _did_ lock him in a cell for 5 days even though he was ‘free to go’? Why this focus on these minor details when you could just be making fun stuff up? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/198 "2013-07-31T20:34:21Z")
Believe me, I’m not trying to play Junior Cross Examiner. I am legitimately unsure of exactly what Kimmy has been postulating. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/199 "2013-07-31T20:37:03Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Believe me, I’m not trying to play Junior Cross Examiner. I am legitimately unsure of exactly what Kimmy has been postulating. At this point, I assume he made a lot of assertions based on prejudices, assumptions, and a smug sense of superiority, and now is too embarrassed to back down. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654/200 "2013-07-31T20:41:01Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Or they left it in there in the hopes he’d take it and then they could test him and convict him of using meth; or they originally intended to haul him before a judge when the stuff kicked in so he’d look bad, and someone forgot their part of the routine. I’ve heard of jails spiking prisoner’s food or drink with drugs like that to make the look bad before a hearing. > > Not everybody is dumb enough to film their crimes. My guess is that they are abusive and neglectful as a matter of course; a “mistake” this big isn’t likely to happen in isolation. They quite probably _intended_ to let the guy go without food or water for a day or two to “soften him up” or “teach him a lesson” (and probably do that sort of thing regularly), or to give him time to get desperate and eat the drug they left, and just let it go on longer than usual this time. They then realized that if he died they likely wouldn’t be able to cover it up and sent him to the hospital, but the media got hold of it anyway. They don’t do that anymore, its 2013. ETA: I see you posted this in 2012, yeah… they totally did that back them but they don’t do it now.😉 > [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Just to be clear, I’m not saying “Because he took methamphetamine, he deserved whatever abuse came his way,” but rather, “Because he has not been forthright about his taking methamphetamine, we should not accept all of his allegations uncritically” and maybe also a little of “Because he took meth _while in DEA custody_, we should perhaps expect that more than a little poor judgment was exercised by Chong, which may have contributed to his predicament.” I’m pretty sure that all you need for damages in this case is to prove taht they put him in a locked cell and didn’t give him food or water for 4 days. Is ANY of that in dispute? Why does any of that matter. If they did that to a serial rapist like Ariel Castro, he should still win a civil suit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pit-the-dea-one-more-time-ro/620654.md?page=11)