Pubdate: Thu, 18 May 2006 Source: Sedalia Democrat (MO) Copyright: The Sedalia Democrat 2006 Contact: http://sedaliademocrat.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1801 SEVENTH HEAVEN OWNER PLEADS GUILTY KANSAS CITY -- The owner of the 7th Heaven stores in Sedalia and Kansas City has pleaded guilty to selling drug paraphernalia. Jan H. Fichman, 54, of Leawood, Kan., agreed to pay the government $440,000, which he agreed is the value of the paraphernalia sales from Jan. 1, 2000, to Feb. 10, 2005. He will make that payment in lieu of forfeiting his two stores and residence to the government. Mr. Fichman admitted to participating in a conspiracy to sell water bongs, pipes, concealment pipes, detoxifiers and car cigarette pipes at his Sedalia store. It is illegal under federal law to sell drug paraphernalia, equipment designed or intended to ingest or inhale controlled substances, such as marijuana or cocaine, U.S. Attorney Bradley J. Schlozman said in a written statement Wednesday. "Those who sell drug paraphernalia are not only violating federal law, they are supporting a culture of illegal drug use and indirectly profiting from illegal drug trafficking," Mr. Schlozman said. "Today's guilty plea sends a message that these head shops and other businesses that have brazenly violated the law will be held accountable for their actions. "In order to protect children from the scourge of illegal drugs, we will prosecute the enablers and profiteers of the drug culture as aggressively as we pursue the dealers, the traffickers, and the manufacturers of illegal drugs." Mr. Fichman could get up to three years in prison without parole when he appears before Judge Nanette K. Laughrey for sentencing in U.S. District Court. The sentencing date will be set after a pre-sentence investigation. Sedalia police officers and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency officers raided the Sedalia store in the spring of 2004. Mr. Fichman and his wife, Anita, 52, were charged in February 2005. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman