vice meet the ex-drug smuggler lawyer who fights

Who are the founders of Vice?

The company had been founded by a famously druggy trio of dudes, Suroosh Alvi, Shane Smith, and Gavin McInnes, and their gleefully nihilistic hedonism defined Vice’s reputation for most of its existence. Pushing boundaries was cool; breaking rules was cooler.

What happened to Slava from Vice Media?

But Slava was fired from Vice Media in 2016, and has bounced between cannabis marketing, copywriting gigs, and unemployment ever since. According to an Instagram post he made about this time, he “got lucky with some crypto swings and learned how to” trade in the intervening years. He self-released a novella called Finesse, but it made no waves.

How does smuggling work in 90 Tyndal?

At 90 Tyndal, Trey walked Slava and Lalji through some of the basics of how a smuggling trip worked. Later, this was also where they’d meet with the mules to explain the same thing. “They take Canadians, and they send them through America.

Who is Michael Slava and why was he arrested?

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested Slava in January 2019, but his name was first publicly connected to this crime ring in 2017, when the National Post ran a gobsmacking story headlined “How a Former Editor Allegedly Used Vice Canada to Recruit Drug Mules for a Global Smuggling Ring.”

How long was the former vice media editor sentenced to?

A former Vice Media editor who used his position to organize an international cocaine smuggling ring that included a former intern was sentenced to nine years in custody on Wednesday in a Toronto, Canada courtroom, according to a reporter from The National Post.

What did Pastukhov's lawyer argue about his sentencing?

During Pastukhov’s sentencing hearing, his lawyer argued that it was Vice’s workplace culture and the pressure to find a breakout story that initially pushed his client into the drug trade. Pastukhov claimed he deeply regrets his crimes.

Why was Wang so valuable to investigators?

Wang was particularly valuable to investigators because he had recorded a conversation between himself, Lalji and Pastukhov in which the two Vice employees coached him on how to traffic drugs, The Ringer reported.

When did Lalji and Pastukhov get arrested?

Despite the recording and multiple reports in Canadian media that implicated Pastukhov in the drug ring, it took years until authorities could gather enough evidence to arrest Lalji and Pastukhov in Jan. 2019.

When did Vice fire Pastukhov?

Vice fired Pastukhov in 2016. Some of the couriers, such as Wang, told prosecutors that they began having second thoughts after initially agreeing to be part of the smuggling operation, but were coerced into carrying it out.

Who is Yaroslav Pastukhov?

Yaroslav Pastukhov, who was a music editor for Vice Canada and wrote under the name Slava Pastuk, pleaded guilty in September to charges of conspiracy to import cocaine. Canadian authorities arrested both Pastukhov and another former Vice employee, Ali Taki Lalji, earlier this year. Lalji has not entered a plea. Advertisement.

Did Lalji enter a plea?

Lalji has not entered a plea. While working at Vice, Pastukhov recruited a small group of young people aspiring to break into the entertainment industry — including a 19-year-old model, a DJ and Pastukhov’s former intern Robert Wang.

Who is Slava P?

Slava—born Yaroslav Pastukhov, but known around town and the internet as “Slava P.”—was, for a few golden years in the early 2010s, an editor at Vice Media’s music vertical, Noisey.

Why was Slava fired?

By the time the public learned that Slava had helped organize the smuggling effort, he had already been fired from Vice Media, as the company had been alerted to his potential involvement in the Australian drug mule bust in early 2016. The company hired third-party investigators to look into the complaint.

What was Slava's first break?

After dabbling in humor writing and stand-up comedy, Slava got his first big break writing for Noisey in his early 20s. He saw journalism as a means to an end. “I just wanted to talk to rappers,” Slava reminisced. “Being an editor sucks.”.

What happened to Slava P?

In September 2019, their handler Yaroslav Pastukhov—a onetime Vice Canada editor known as Slava P.—pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cocaine. Slava admits his involvement in the scheme, and expects to serve time in prison.

How much cocaine was in the bag of Slava?

Slava admits that he helped organize a botched December 2015 drug trafficking attempt, in which four young Canadians and one young American were arrested at the airport in Sydney, Australia, while carrying 39.76 kilograms of cocaine wrapped into bricks and hidden in the lining of their Samsonite luggage.

When was Slava arrested?

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested Slava in January 2019, but his name was first publicly connected to this crime ring in 2017, when the National Post ran a gobsmacking story headlined “How a Former Editor Allegedly Used Vice Canada to Recruit Drug Mules for a Global Smuggling Ring.”.

Did Slava get caught on tape?

One thing to know is that Slava absolutely did what he has been accused of doing. He got dressed in a suit jacket and slacks, went to court, looked at the judge, and pleaded guilty. The evidence was too damning to do anything else—he was caught on tape explaining how to traffic drugs.

Gonzo journalism culture at Vice pushed editor into international cocaine smuggling ring, court heard

In the government’s bid to prove its case against Lalji, prosecutors submitted a large volume of documents gathered by Australian authorities as part of the successful cases against the five drug mules.

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Drug Smuggling Penalties Often Include Lengthy Jail Time

If you have been arrested for drug smuggling, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has its sight set on you. Since most drug smuggling cases, by definition, involve trafficking an illegal drug from one country to another, the FBI will be interested in your punishment and the information you may possess.

Intentionally Mislabeled Drug Crimes

A drug smuggling conviction can reward the government with thousands in fines, much higher than a typical drug crime conviction can bring in, even when compared to drug trafficking charges. For this reason, the language in drug smuggling crime definitions has been left intentionally vague.

Free Case Analyses are Available – Call (617) 500-0252

For more than 35 years, Boston Drug Crime Attorney Brad Bailey has been handling federal court cases, from both sides. In fact, he has personally managed more than 300 separate cases at this level alone, marking him as one of the country’s premier federal crime attorneys.