"Woodstock on Steroids," Cops Bust Church of Love and Music

By: Mike Ballou
Topics: Daily Blotter

VIDEO COURTESY OF CBS AFFILIATE KDKA-TV PITTSBURGH

MOUNT PLEASANT, Pa. (CBS/AP) A Fayette County church is in trouble for allegedly combining faith and music with massive amounts of drugs.

Authorities in southwestern Pennsylvania arrested 21 people and seized large amounts of drugs and paraphernalia at a concert held by a non-denominational Christian church that says its music events are religious services.

Police executed a search warrant Saturday during the second day of a three-day "Funk Fest" event organized by the Church of Universal Love and Music, said Assistant District Attorney Mark Brooks, coordinator of the Fayette County Drug Task Force.

Authorities asked a judge for the warrant after undercover officers attending separate events in May and July witnessed people openly selling and using drugs and "head shops" selling drug paraphernalia, Brooks said.

Under a settlement of a federal religious rights lawsuit against the county by church leader William Pritts last March, the church was allowed to hold a limited number of concerts at Pritts' property in Acme, about 35 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Neighbors had complained about traffic and noise, and officials said they were concerned about illegal drug use.

The 21 arrested at Saturday's concert - which was attended by 400 to 500 people - face charges ranging from misdemeanor drug possession to felony possession with intent to deliver. More arrests are possible, Brooks said.

Large amounts of drugs including marijuana, LSD, and hallucinogenic mushrooms were collected, Brooks said, but he didn't say specifically how much.

Brooks said he initially doubted the undercover officer's accounts of drug use at earlier events.

"They made it sound like Woodstock on steroids," he said. "But within minutes of getting out of the undercover vehicle they observed people walking around smoking marijuana in the open. And we never asked to purchase drugs; people came up to us offering drugs ... all we did was stand there like patrons listening to the music."

Pritts has an unlisted number, and the church's phone rang unanswered Sunday. The church's Web site includes a list of concert rules, including no illegal drug use or underage drinking.

The church calls music the "universal language" that can break through prejudice and help people attain their full potential. "Music, Nature, Humor all help us to achieve happiness, and to see the essence of life and existence," the Web site says.

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by threedomfighters August 3, 2009 6:17 PM EDT: I was at this event as a scheduled performer. the following is my first hand account of what happened...

I have to let you know what went down at our gig this weekend. On Saturday we performed at The Church of Love and Music in Acme, PA, as part of a funk festival that included members of "3", P-Funk, 420 Funkmob, Ivan Neville's Dumpstafunk, and Leo Noccenteli of the Meters, to name a few. We finished a great set and then headed to the backstage trailer for some hospitality and to visit with the Gartdrumm's mother and nephew who had driven up from west Virginia to see our set.

We were sitting on the back porch eating our food when I noticed a caravan of vans and ambulences coming quickly up the entrance road. Then I saw what looked to be a SWAT team running out of the wooded area at the edge of the festival grounds. I stared in disbelief wondering what the hell was going on... Suddemly a large black van skidded to a halt directly below where we were sitting, its door flew open and a bunch of men with with machine guns, some in black ski masks came rushing out screaming: "everybody down on the ground!!!" Some had black vests, others were in full camo gear, and most had multiple firearms and night sticks strapped to there appendages.

Because of there unusual garb and the fact that no one yelled "this is the police" it took me a second to notice that some of their shirts said POLICE in white letters. I don't know... I guess when I see a dude in a black ski mask with a machine gun the last thing I think of is a cop. I was frozen for a moment standing there looking down the barrel of an M-16... and yes the old cliche: my life did flashed before my eyes. They were waving there guns at me and screaming: "GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!" I quickly obliged along with everyone one esle on the porch. "Hands out where I can see them or you will be tazed!" Suddenly I realized that despite our lack of arms these guys were more afraid of us than we were of them.

I kept my head down as the men came up the steps, secured the porch and stormed into the trailer. I winced at the sounds I heard as many of my friends, some of them them with physical disabillities were forced to the ground. I heard Ted Ore trying to explain that he had a bad leg and is partially blind.

One by one they searched us thoroughly finding nothing. Once we'd been searched we were allowed to stand up and congregate on the grass beside the trailer. The adrenalin was coursing through us, there was alot of nervous laughter. After a few minutes the frantic motions of the cops seemed to relax a bit. They searched around in the trailer and eventually escorted an elderly woman out in handcuffs. Apparently she had a joint on her. Wow. All that drama over a joint? America's finest!

The show had been shut down with Ivan Neville being searched onstage in front of the audience, who were also being searched. They literally rounded up everyone on the property, concert goers, campers, vendors, musicians and festival security alike and searched them all. They cuffed anyone who had anything, most of them small amounts of marijauna, and created a holding station for processing these "dangerous crimainals." They were patting down children, now thats gotta be wrong! One girl told me they were searching in women's underwear and bras! I watched as one cop escorted a hand-cuffed girl in a large flowing dress into an extremely filthy porta potty. I don't know how she could have used the bathroom with her hands cuffed like that. And her dress must have gotten filthy.

Those of us who were "clean" were not allowed to leave the grounds despite the fact that we'd done nothing wrong. They confiscated my friends video of our set because they were undercover agents and their faces couldn't be seen by "the bad guys."
Who are the "bad guys"? I thought....

After keeping us for about 5 hours and searching the pond and other wooded areas they began loading captives into vans and cars. They probably hauled away 30 - 40 people. I later heard that marijauna offenders were being held at 10,000 bail. The show went back on at about 9pm and Dumpstafunk helped me to remember one of the good things about our country, great MUSIC.

Is this really legal? I would guess this elaborate operation cost between $25,000-$50,000 of taxpayers money, all to bust some peaceful weed smokin music lovers! This is not the kind of CHANGE I was personally hoping for... There are REAL problems that need our attention and resources! We have to do something, we can't let our America become a Police state.; Reply to this comment