YOU GON' PAY WHAT YOU OWE: GIVE ME THOSE GRILLZ OUT YOUR MOUTHS

UNCLE SAM: "I WANT YOUR GRILLZ"


Federal government lawyers tried to confiscate the gold tooth caps known as "grills" from the mouths of two men facing drug charges, saying the dental work qualified as seizable assets. They had the men in a vehicle headed to a dental clinic by the time defense attorneys persuaded a judge to halt the procedure. "I've been doing this for over 30 years, and I have never heard of anything like this," said Richard Troberman, a past president of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "It sounds like Nazi Germany when they were removing the gold teeth from the bodies, but at least then they waited until they were dead." Prosecutors had a warrant to seize the caps, according to documents and lawyers involved in the case. But they eventually backed down, saying they mistakenly thought the caps were removable. The customized tooth caps are made of precious metals and jewels and can cost thousands of dollars for a full set. Some can be snapped onto the teeth, while others are permanently bonded to the teeth. Flenard Neal Jr. and Donald Jamar Lewis have permanently bonded caps, their lawyers said.