Are You Smarter than a Fourth Waiver?

Defamation League MC Chaz “Khemical Ali” Lomack was probably the most famous of the 95 arrested in the Operation Sudden Fall drug sting last May. “I was sentenced to 120 days.”

Lomack, 22, did his court-mandated work furlough during the day and took the bus back to jail at night. “I only did 70 days for good behavior. I got out November 20.”

Lomack faced nine felony counts but only pleaded guilty to endangering public health with a controlled substance (selling cocaine).

Since he was released, Lomack has been rehearsing and recording with Def League, his five-year-old “alternative grit-hop” band. He’s optimistic about Def League and its upcoming CD. “I cowrote all my lyrics for the new album when I was in furlough, riding on the bus to work.”

Though out of prison, things are tough for Lomack. “I’m a fourth waiver now. I signed away my rights. If a cop pulls me over, I have to tell them I’m on probation for a drug offense and he can search me or my vehicle at any time.”

Lomack says he has no money now because he had to pay $42 a day to participate in work furlough. He’s scrambling at three part-time jobs. “It’s not a good time to be a convicted drug offender right now. The economy sucks.”

He says that for the next three years he can’t consume alcohol, smoke marijuana, or use any drugs as part of his probation. He says he has no plans to sell drugs again, but Lomack has not been converted.

“I don’t think I did anything morally bad. Selling cocaine is okay. Capitalism is what makes our country beautiful. You cannot legislate morality. It’s like saying it’s okay to sell regular porn but not gay porn. Prohibition didn’t work with alcohol, and it’s not working with drugs. People choose to do what they want. If drugs were legal, it would cut down on the crime associated with it. There is a lot of violence in drug trafficking.”

Lomack says Operation Sudden Fall was “a huge fucking joke. SDSU didn’t want to participate, but they got huge pressure from the family of the girl who OD’d on cocaine and ecstasy. That started the whole investigation. If the girl who died had been a young black girl instead of a young white girl, this investigation never would have happened.”

Lomack says he never minced his words in court.

“The judge told me I had no remorse. I said, ‘I was just making money.’ But I knew what I was getting myself into when I started slangin’, so I really can’t be mad at anybody.”

Lomack says the next Defamation League show is April 8 at the 710 Beach Club.