Tela Ropa raided by city police

Officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration along with city police raided Tela Ropa… Officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration along with city police raided Tela Ropa early Monday.

The raid of Tela Ropa Inc., a retail store located at 120 Atwood St., was part of a nationwide investigation called “Operation Pipe Dreams” targeting national and local distributors of illegal drug paraphernalia.

Attorney General John Ashcroft and U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced the indictment of 27 individuals as result of the investigation. Richard Kevin Jaussen, owner of Tela Ropa Inc. is among those facing charges.

Though officials would not verify the type of paraphernalia confiscated from Tela Ropa, according to a Department of Justice, “the defendants have been charged with conspiracy to sell and offering to sell various types of drug paraphernalia … such as miniature scales, substances for ‘cutting’ or diluting raw narcotics, bongs, marijuana pipes, roach clips, miniature spoons and cocaine freebase kits.”

A local Oakland employee and acquaintance of Jaussen, who asked that his name not be used, said Tela Ropa had started selling tobacco pipes again and emphasized that they were not meant to be used as anything else.

Jess Andrus, a Tela Ropa employee explained that the store only carries traditional tobacco pipes.

Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Brysh could not comment on what particular charges Jaussen faces or what maximum sentence he could face. But, a Department of Justice press release stated that “Federal law provides for a maximum total sentence of three years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both, with respect to each count set forth in the indictments.”