Tipster talks ‘dope game’
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 24, 2001
As a boy growing up in a strict military family, Andrew Chambers learned how to fit in with new crowds each time his family moved to a new city. Years later, Chambers used some of those same skills as an informant with the Drug Enforcement Administration to infiltrate some of the nations prime-time drug dealers, putting 445 of them behind bars, according to the DEA.Chambers, who was the subject of an ABC 20/20 special in June, visited Western Kentucky University on Monday and spoke with roughly 40 people about his experience during his 16 years of living undercover in what he called the dope game. I call it a dope game, because thats what it is, a big game, the 44-year-old Chambers said. But its not worth getting into. This is the real world. Its out there. Chambers began the event by showing the crowd the 20/20 special about his unprecedented success of finding the top drug dealers and helping get them arrested and convicted by the DEA.Chambers faced scrutiny by the DEA and the public because of his admission to lying under oath about his criminal record including an arrest for solicitation of prostitution and allegations regarding a DEA cover-up. Chambers traveled to different cities and used luxury cars and clothing to convince the major drug dealers of cocaine, heroin and PCP that he was legitimate. During his 16 years working for the DEA, he knew the threats of the drug culture, but was always disturbed to watch teenagers use drugs, including watching a 17-year-old girl shoot up heroin, the arrest of a 90-year-old woman for drug trafficking and hearing a hit being made. Chambers urged the crowd at Western to make positive decisions and be careful with whom they hang out. Chambers also issued a warning to drug dealers, saying they never can relax or be safe because of informants such as himself who are convincing and out there in the streets. Im not the only type of person who does this job, Chambers said. Its a cold world out here and when youre out here in this drug culture, theres a lot of stuff that goes on.