Prosecutors attempted to force the removal of gold tooth caps from two drug suspects, saying the "grills" were seizable assets.

The Associated Press reports that Flenard T. Neal Jr. and Donald Jamar Lewis were in a car heading to the dentist when defense attorney convinced a judge to stop the procedure.

Richard J. Troberman, a past president of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, says, "I've been doing this for over 30 years and I have never heard of anything like this... 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."

The government lawyers had a warrant to confiscate the dental work, but they gave up after realizing the grills were bonded to the teeth.

Emily Langlie, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Seattle, says to the AP, "Asset forfeiture is a fairly routine procedure, and our attorneys were under the impression that these snapped out like a retainer."

The tooth caps are commonly seen in rap stars such as Paul Wall, who makes them for other rappers.

They can be customized to hold expensive metals and jewels. Some are removable, while others are permanently glued to the teeth.

Lawyers for Neal and Lewis say their clients have permanently bonded grills.

Zenon Peter Olbertz, who represents Lewis, says, "It's shocking that this kind of action by the federal government could be sought and accomplished in secret, without anyone being notified... It reminds me of the secret detentions" in terrorist cases.

The two men are charged with drug and weapons violations.