Feb. 24 — By Deborah Charles WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attorney General John Ashcroft on Monday announced 55 people have been charged with trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia as part of a nationwide crackdown. Ashcroft said selling drug paraphernalia is a billion-dollar industry and sales have skyrocketed through purchases over the Internet. Of 17 indictments returned in the investigation, ten are against national distributors of drug paraphernalia and seven involve businesses located in Western Pennsylvania, he told a Justice Department news conference. Ashcroft said drug paraphernalia sales had soared with the advent of the Internet, which allows easy access to anyone...