Tim Allen Was a Convicted Drug Dealer Before Becoming Famous

tim allen mugshotToday I found out Tim Allen was a convicted drug dealer before becoming famous.

On October 2, 1978, shortly after beginning his stand up comedian career while working at an advertising firm, Allen was caught by drug sniffing dogs at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport transporting about 650 grams (1.4 pounds) of cocaine.  In exchange for not having to go to prison for life, as was the maximum penalty that could have been leveled against him, Allen plead guilty and subsequently ratted out the other drug dealers he knew.  This got his potential sentence reduced from life imprisonment to 3-7 years.   He ended up only serving 28 months in a Federal Correctional Institution, specifically at Sandstone, in Sandstone Minnesota.

When he was released, he was 29 years old and, being an ex-con, found it hard to find other work, so decided to go back into stand-up comedy, as he had been doing on the side while working in advertising, before being convicted.

Fast forward about 15-20 years and Allen briefly turned himself into an A-list star known for doing family and kid-friendly entertainment, including winning the “Hall of Fame” award at the Kids Choice Awards in 1996 and making $1.25 million per episode in the final season of Home Improvement.  Talk about turning around your life.

Bonus Facts:

  • Tim Allen’s father was killed in a car accident after being hit by a drunk driver when Tim was just 11 years old.  Two years later, Tim and his four brothers moved in with his mother’s new husband, her former high school sweetheart and a very successful business man, who in turn had three kids of his own.  This had Brady bunch written all over it.
  • Tim Allen started his career as a comedian at a comedy club in Detroit on a dare from one of his friends.
  • Allen once set an impressive “triple crown” entertainment record by accomplishing the following in a one week span: starred in the highest grossing film of the week (Santa Clause); appeared in the top rated television series (Home Improvement) on TV; and was atop the New York Times best-seller list with his book Don’t Stand Too Close to the Naked Man.
  • Tim Allen’s birth name was Timothy Allen Dick, which he later had legally shortened to Tim Allen when his career began to take off.
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36 comments

  • Just to let you know; he wrote a book that details his life back then and his time behind bars. It’s called “Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man”. Tim is a shining example of what one can do to change their life, even after they have strayed. We all have the power to become a better person. Read his book and you’ll see. He is one of my heroes because he changed the course of his life and didn’t let his past define him. Now he plays Santa Clause.

    • I agree, a stand up guy, figuratively and literally. I have his book, which details his early life, drug dealing days and his come back.
      He had a brush with the law, involving excess speed and alcohol consumption ironically, but has remained an example of hope for those that have made poor choices to believe that they can redeem themselves.

      • Yeah, what a great guy. He gave up the people he worked with, im assuming some were friends. He was a coke dealer and when he got caught he gave up everyone else so he would do less time. I am by no means a “no snitch” ghetto dweller, but he didn’t turn states witness because he felt it was the right thing to do or he wanted to help take criminals of the street. he did it to get his criminal ass back on the street as soon as possible. And, he lost his father to a drunk driver and drove drunk himself. What do you think the chances are that the one time he got caught was the only time he did it? The guy is a scumbag, plain and simple. Chances are had one of his ‘friends” he was in the business of selling cocaine with gotten caught before he did and set him up to save his own ass the this pos did, tim allen would just be some old convict sitting in prison still and we would have never heard of him or his mindless shitcoms. this guy is proof positive that there is no such thing as karma and that sometimes awful people live a good life after destroyong other peoples just to save themselves. Coke dealing drunk driving lowlife that gave up the people that were doing the same thing he was because he got caught first.

        • Don't worry about it

          Where did you get your information? Because it sounds like your comment is mostly your own opinion and you have nothing better to do than sit around and bash someone that obviously made a better life for themself than you. Yea he might have messed up a few times but now he’s a celebrity. What have you done for yourself? Some dead end job, living paycheck to paycheck talkin shit about someone else’s life that you know nothing about….

          • I believe you’re missing his point. It’s better to have a regular job living paycheck to paycheck, than to have sold coke to kids, and then rat everyone else out when he got caught, to avoid the sentence he SHOULD have received. Your reading comprehension is crap.

          • I guess you are OK with drug dealers as long as they are Hollywood actors.

          • He was a snitch plain and simple

        • Victor Christenson

          so you prefer drug dealers not roll on each other? that would just provide a stronger and more resilient drug trade. i guess that’s what you want. or are you an illogical retard? also i like how you made a bunch of shit up for the purpose of talking shit about the shit you made up as if it actually happened, nice job.

        • If I am right I met him just before he got caught and let me say this, NOT one of the people he was dealing with would have given him up. It was a BOND they all had. They were all convinced you had to do the time if you got caught doing the crime. It surprised me to see he had snitched. But I do remember certain people going down at the same time. I would like to find out who he snitched on if anyone knows. Just one or two people would let me know if I am right. I know he snitched on 12.

        • There is ‘no criminal’ who will not roll on his counter-part to save his own ass from doing time (stand up guys are extinct, so forget that idea).

          This POS ‘Tim Dick Allen’ is just that….’a dick.’ Got caught, Rolled over on ‘his partners’ (who probably did get life) and lucked out and became famous.

          Now, he wants everyone to think ‘he’s a great guy!’ Yeah, sure Pal…tell me another one!

      • How is he is stand up guy when he ratted out everyone he was working with to avoid a longer prison sentence?

    • Especially if you’re WHYte.

    • Law abiding American

      I wonder if anyone overdosed and died as a result of using cocaine peddled by Tim Allen?

  • F this F-ing rat….and he sucks as a “comedian” too

    • hey moron! that’s my father you’re talking about, and he raised me up good

    • Lol F you, Tim Allen is an amazing comedian and good for him that he ratted on a few f-ing con’s to make his life better. Con’s who deal drugs deserve no sense of respect for they are only rats themselves.

      • He ‘ratted” on people that were doing the same thing he was, he just got caught first. Is it also good for him that he drove around drunk even after he lost his father to another scumbaqg just like himself?

        • THANK YOU. He basically decided, “Hey, my life is more important than other people (that were just doing the same thing he was), so it’s OK to screw them over.”

  • Tim Allen is the man ; I enjoy re-watching the movies he has made over the years… When my cable decides to annoy me I find watching his movies comforting to sleep to 🙂
    Finding out this made me really look up to Hiim in a different way then many would understand I’m from a middle class family so I don’t blame him TIM ALLEN ALLL DAY <3

  • So rat out to save your skin.At least they know where to find him.

  • How does the ol sayin go “DO THE CRIME, DO THE TIME” A snitch to save himself. Must of been put in protective custody. Snitches get stitches, is what I always heard.

    • he didnt get stitches, he got a reduced sentence, got out, made millions and dr4ove around drunk until he got caught. He is a lowlife in every sense of the word. And, his sitcoms are nothing but mindless crap for low iq idiots. I hope the guy gets what he really deserves someday.

  • LOL! Some of these comments are hilarious. Especially by those who live in glass houses.

  • That shines a whole new meaning on his Home Improvement show TOOL time starring Tim the TOOL man Taylor. Tim is a bigger TOOL than any of the products Binford ever produced!

  • Tim Allen lost all and any respect in my eyes. You people are missing the point… This is before fame, no one not even he himself could have foreseen what was to come as far as his star status and career. He was doing the exact same thing as the people he ratted on. There’s no separation, he deserves the exact same fate as the people he sold out. He is a drug dealer… Not a very good one either. He made money off the misery of others. After learning of his past I am boycotting all things Tim Allen and hope others do the same.

  • I think I met him back just before he got busted. ( like 3 days before) I lived in the vine neighborhood in kazoo. I met a guy introduced to me as Tim looking just like him. I was trying to look up to see who he ratted out when he got caught. It would tell me more if I knew.

  • Last man standing

    Everyone on here could get caught with 1.4 lbs of coke and every single person would snitch…. Call me a liar….. And be that guy that wants to go to the pen for life…if you really don’t wanna snitch then your the fuckin idiot

  • They should make a movie about his life.

    All them Hollywood types are sniffers……

  • Like Every Human Being. Tim Allen is Not Perfect. He Got a Little off track & I am Sure he was not proud of what He Did But At Least He Owned Up To it & Is Doing Better.

  • SEE KIDS ITS OK TO DO DRUGS

  • Tim Allen wouldn’t be discovered if it wasn’t for somebody who I won’t mention who open the doors busted their ass believed in him when he didn’t believe in himself!!! and to Humble himself and show appreciation did he do anything for this person? NO even though he said if I ever make it I will never sell you out but he did!! He’s an egotistical ass!! And with all his money and fame someday his karma will be immense!!!