On this day 38 years ago, music manager Doc McGhee pleaded guilty to a wild crime. McGhee, who managed bands like Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe, in the 1980s, was caught importing over 40,000 lb. of marijuana into the U.S. from Colombia, via a shrimp boat.
In January 1988, McGhee pleaded guilty to helping smuggle nearly 19 tons of marijuana into Carteret County, North Carolina. He was 37 at the time. This smuggling occurred six years prior, in 1982, according to an archived UPI report. During the case, federal prosecutors argued that McGhee was the go-between for an international drug ring.
In his plea, McGhee said that he was not really a drug smuggler. However, he did confess to introducing a smuggler to one of his acquaintances who had a contact for obtaining marijuana from Colombia.
McGhee was the head of McGhee Entertainment Inc. in Los Angeles
At McGhee’s sentencing, U.S. District Judge Earl Britt ordered him to serve 180 days in a community treatment center and pay a $15,000 fine. McGhee was also ordered to set up an anti-drugs foundation, which became Make A Difference Foundation. The judge ordered McGhee to spend $250,000 and 3,000 hours in the non-profit corporation, which was expected to teach young people about the dangers of drugs.
He was also expected to produce an “anti-drug documentary film with rock stars, an anti-drug recording, and anti-drug brochures.” In 1989, McGhee fulfilled part of his sentencing by having Jon Bon Jovi perform an anti-drug event at Broughton High School.
McGhee also worked with Kiss and Hootie & the Blowfish
During the rally, Bon Jovi spoke to about 2,500 high schoolers and offered them advice on how to avoid illegal substances. “I think it’s bulls***,” he reportedly said when asked for advice on talking to people who claim they were pressured into taking drugs. “You’ve got to be your own person. By being your own person, you can stand up to anything.”
Bon Jovi also reported blaming parents for their kids turning to drugs and alcohol. “You come home after three or four martinis. You call it a businessman’s lunch. And you give your kids a bunch of s***,” he said.
McGhee served his sentence and has continued working in the music industry for the past few decades.
The post On This Day in 1988, Rock Manager Pleaded Guilty to Sneaking 40,000 Pounds of Marijuana Into the U.S. With a Pretty Fishy Method appeared first on VICE.
