Fwd: FBI RAIDS SMALL MICHIGAN RPG COMPANY

["L. Todd Masco" <cactus@bb.com>]

Interesting tidbit, forwarded to me by a friend.

------- Start of forwarded message -------
From: tucholka@aol.com (Tucholka)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce
Subject: FBI RAIDS SMALL MICHIGAN RPG COMPANY
Date: 7 Sep 1994 13:09:02 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)

OK, there have been some wild rumors about the FBI raid on Tri Tac Games
just after GENCON.   Lets set them straight.

FBI RAIDS SMALL GAME COMPANY
PRESS RELEASE

At 10am Tuesday morning, August 23rd, a special tactical team from the FBI
gained swift and overwhelming entry into the corporate offices of Tri Tac
Games in Pontiac Michigan to the great surprise of the entire staff who
were still sipping coffee.

Richard Tucholka, owner and president of Tri Tac, was duly informed of his
rights as the squad of federal agents neatly and politely searched the
offices of Tri Tac claiming to be looking for 'phony FBI  Identification
Badges' and 'Illicit government operation manuals.'

It is to be noted that Tri Tac Games publishes an award-winning
Role-Playing Game called Bureau 13, detailing the adventures of a secret
division of the FBI which uses magic and Harrier Jump Jets to defend
America from supernatural criminals and monsters.

After painstakingly searching everything from the yet-to-be released CD
ROM computer game version of Bureau 13, through the paperback copies of
the Cult -hit novels from Ace Books in New York, absolutely nothing
incriminating or illegal was discovered-- an incident close to the
precedent setting invasion of Steve Jackson Games a few years ago by the
US secret service which resulted in a major lawsuit rightfully won by the
innocent game company.

In preparation for another government visit, Mr. Tucholka has informed his
lawyer, alerted the media, and set an extra pot of coffee to brew for the
agents if they return.
****************
Yes, it happened.  No kidding.   Apparently some fool at GENCON thought a
$1 double sized Plastic ID badge on flaming orange and pink  paper was a
threat to national security.  These badges were given to players of Bureau
13 as promotional material.   
****************
The agents were professional and Tri Tac cooperated with them.   Computers
were not touched (It is a federal law that a writers 'Works in Progress'
may not be taken.)   They removed plastic Bureau 13/FBI  ID badges from a
display shelf  and versions of a Department of Justice ID badge produced
by Databank Press.   

On Thursday the 25th Richard Tucholka was informed that the Federal
Prosecutor would not be pressing charges for the badges because there was
no malice or intent in their production.  There would be a file
established at the FBI with these badge examples for future reference.  He
was instructed to send in all production copies and masters as well as
destroy the ID Badge Computer Graphics file in question.  Richard Tucholka
shook his head and said "Only an idiot could think these badges were real.
 Wonderful to see my tax dollars at work."

And that's the story.

8)