Man at centre of Rob Ford ‘crack video’ scandal pleads guilty to drug, gun charges
Posted July 20, 2015 2:14 pm.
Last Updated July 21, 2015 12:58 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The man at the centre of the Rob Ford crack video scandal pleaded guilty to five counts of drug and firearm trafficking for a criminal organization on Monday.
The charges against Mohamed Siad, who showed the infamous video of Ford to reporters at the Toronto Star, stemmed from a police investigation into Etobicoke gang activity.
The Crown is seeking a 10-year sentence.
Siad was one of dozens rounded up during Project Traveller – a 2013 probe into the Dixon City Bloods street gang.
Police raided six apartment complexes and arrested 50 people alleged to be involved in the trafficking of guns across the Windsor-Detroit border. The guns were later resold in Toronto.
It was during those raids that police uncovered a video showing Ford apparently smoking crack cocaine.
Siad, and another man, Liban Siyad, were the two original victims of an alleged extortion carried out by Ford’s friend and occasional driver, Alexander “Sandro” Lisi.
Lisi’s charges pertaining to Siad were dropped but he still faces extortion charges related to Siyad.
Lisi was also in court on Monday to set a trial date on those charges.
He’s accused of using threats to try and force Syad to hand over the video of Ford, which was recorded on a cellphone.
