Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was recently the subject of new drug-related police revelations. Wiretaps suggest that Ford smoked heroin, had close ties with senior crime gang members, and offered $5,000 and a car to suspected drug dealers for a tape showing him smoking crack.
The information on Ford is yet to be proven in court, and the police have not yet indicted Ford. For his part, Ford denies the charges are "outright lies."
The evidence is based on wiretapped conversations of crime gang "Dixon City Bloods" members in western Toronto. Police eavesdropped on the gang over the course of many months, reports Shalom Toronto.
From the conversations it is reported that the gang had video of Ford smoking cocaine, along with pictures of him smoking marijuana and heroin.
In November the Toronto city council voted 39-3 to strip Ford of his executive power, and voted 41-2 to remove his mayoral power, leaving him mayor in name only.
The latest reports are part of a string of revelations showing Ford's drug use, as well as threatening and erratic behavior.
Before it was made known to the media in May, Ford allegedly tried to buy his "crack video" with cash and a car, threatening to take action against the criminals.
The gang members were not impressed by the threats, demanding $150,000 for the video and saying they had a lot of incriminating evidence against Ford showing his drug use.
Death threats were apparently made against the dealer who had the video of Ford smoking cocaine. The dealer is heard in the recorded talks saying he erased the video.
However, Toronto police succeeded in obtaining the cell phone that filmed the video and recovering it.
Evidence of Ford's reported close ties with criminals has become even clearer then it was. His former driver, Alexander Lisi, apparently served as Ford's intermediary with the crime gang, and currently stands trial for drug trafficking and extortion.
The reported incidents involving Ford are numerous and serious.
A photo that was recently published shows Ford with 3 drug dealers. They are Anthony Smith, who was gunned down in March, as well as Monir Kassim and Muhammad Khattak, both of whom were arrested in July in the police operation "Project Traveller."
Furthermore, investigations revealed that a drug dealer who appears to have provided Ford with drugs and filmed him taking heroin was shot in his leg on a Toronto street.
In the first half of the year, Ford allegedly made regular visits to the apartment of a prostitute drug dealer, an apartment the police labeled as a "drug den."
In one reported case, Ford's cell phone was stolen by drug dealers, and only after intensive exchanges and threat was it returned in exchange for 1.5 kilograms of marijuana provided by Lisi.