Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
businessman, author, television personality, and former drug
smuggler
Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. More broadly, soc ...
. He is best-known for a large marijuana smuggling enterprise he masterminded in the mid-1980s. Set up to move marijuana in bulk from
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
to the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
and
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, between 1986 and 1988, O'Dea's organization successfully smuggled 76 tons of marijuana worth about $300 million into
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
, transported it to California, and distributed it throughout the United States.
After suffering a cocaine-induced heart attack in 1988, O'Dea quit smuggling and using illegal drugs and became a substance abuse counselor. A long U.S. federal investigation of his marijuana smuggling operation resulted in O'Dea's arrest in 1990.
O'Dea pleaded guilty in 1991 and received a ten year sentence. After beginning his prison term in California, in 1992 he was transferred to a prison in Canada. Released on parole in 1993, O'Dea later built a career as a television commentator, narrator, and producer, in addition to authoring a memoir.
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
on 1 September 1948, one of five children born to John R. O'Dea and Madeleine "Maddy" Connolly. His family was prominent in Newfoundland business and politics; his uncle Fabian O'Dea served as
lieutenant governor of Newfoundland
The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador () is the representative in Newfoundland and Labrador of the monarch, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada. The li ...
in the 1960s. O'Dea's father was president of Newfoundland Brewery and founded Atlantic Brewing Company. He also served in Newfoundland's provincial assembly and as president of the St. John's metro board.
O'Dea attended the parochial schools of St. John's including Winterton School and
Saint Bonaventure's College
St. Bonaventure's College (commonly called St. Bon's) is an independent kindergarten to grade 12 Roman Catholic Church, Catholic School in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located in the St. John's Ecclesiastical District, adj ...
. According to his memoir, as an eleven year old at Saint Bonaventure's he was sexually molested by a member of the Christian Brothers who was serving on the faculty. In the fall of 1965, O'Dea began attendance at
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, or MUN (), is a Public university, public research university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook ...
in St. John's. While in college, O'Dea worked as the host of a CJON (now CJYQ) radio call in show that dealt with current events, and sold advertising for the college radio station and newspaper, CHMR and ''The Muse''. In addition, O'Dea also began dealing in marijuana, traveling to
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
to buy the drug from suppliers, then returning to St. John's to resell it at a profit. His drug business expanded to include the sale and production of MDA, a precursor to
MDMA
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy (tablet form), and molly (crystal form), is an empathogen–entactogenic drug with stimulant and minor Psychedelic drug, psychedelic properties. In studies, it has been used ...
(ecstasy).
Drug dealer
After leaving the university without graduating, O'Dea continued to deal drugs and became an importer of
marijuana
Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
to Canada from the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. In 1972, he was arrested for possession of
hashish
Hashish (; ), usually abbreviated as hash, is a Compression (physics), compressed form of resin (trichomes) derived from the cannabis flowers. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Lisbon, As a Psychoactive drug, psychoactive ...
, marijuana, and
cocaine
Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
with intent to distribute. He was convicted and sentenced to nineteen months in prison. He served twelve months before being released.
After leaving prison, O'Dea traveled to
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
to re-establish a connection with an acquaintance he had met in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
before going to prison. He used this relationship to establish himself as a cocaine smuggler, and developed a regular routine of picking up shipments in
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
and carrying them into Canada, where he broke down the packages into smaller amounts for individual resale.
Following the success of his smuggling trips, O'Dea renewed the acquaintance of several individuals living in Toronto whom he had known in Newfoundland. The group agreed to have O'Dea establish a presence in
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, where he could use his Colombian contacts to bring in cocaine. Other members of the organization would be responsible for transporting the cocaine from Jamaica to Canada and selling it. The relationship soon soured, and O'Dea developed new Jamaican contacts that enabled him to continue smuggling.
In 1975, O'Dea and a
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
-based partner agreed to smuggle marijuana from Colombia by boat to the United States. When this venture proved unsuccessful, O'Dea and his partner in Chicago made an arrangement with smugglers based in
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
and
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
to move the marijuana from Colombia by air and purchased a
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, Douglas reworked it after the war to compete ...
transport plane for the purpose. This venture failed when mechanical failure caused O'Dea and the pilot to ditch the plane, resulting in the loss of both plane and cargo.
Move to California
Having lost most of his money in the unsuccessful attempt to smuggle marijuana by airplane, in 1976, O'Dea re-established contact with a
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
-based attorney he had met in Jamaica. He moved to California, where he became a courier for a group of individuals who moved money for wealthy clients. O'Dea's function was to circulate among the banks of Los Angeles exchanging cash for cashier's checks made payable to overseas companies. He would then return the checks to his employers, who would deposit them in foreign banks. He also re-established himself as a cocaine smuggler, using a small network of couriers to carry the drugs from Colombia to one of the Caribbean islands, including Saint Martin,
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...
, and
Martinique
Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...
. O'Dea would then repackage the shipments for transport to Los Angeles and resale.
In the late 1970s, O'Dea met Bill and Chris Shaffer, wealthy brothers who had interests in both legal and illegal businesses. O'Dea began to work for Bill Shaffer, including distributing marijuana. In addition, O'Dea operated for Shaffer a crew of couriers who helped move money to overseas banks using the same method of exchanging cash for cashier's checks that O'Dea had used when working as a courier.
Entrepreneur
O'Dea was periodically involved in legitimate business ventures, several of which proved successful. While living in California in the late 1970s and early 1980s, his wife and he had an antique store. His wife was a hairdresser, and O'Dea recognized the potential of Tri, the brand of haircare products she used when she cut his hair. He established a business relationship with Tri's sales manager,
John Paul DeJoria
John Paul Jones DeJoria (born April 13, 1944) is an American billionaire businessman, best known as a co-founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products and The Patrón Spirits Company. DeJoria has been called an example of the American Drea ...
, which led to O'Dea becoming the product's Canadian distributor. When DeJoria was fired, O'Dea loaned him $15,000 to help start the Paul Mitchell hair products line.
O'Dea declined DeJoria's offer to join him in the Paul Mitchell venture because he felt obligated to honor his agreement with the makers of Tri. He successfully retailed Tri in
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, and planned to expand into more cities, but abandoned the venture when Canadian authorities who suspected him of involvement in illegal drugs accused him of avoiding customs duties. To avoid a prison term, he pleaded guilty and paid a $25,000 fine, and his business was closed.
O'Dea developed a cocaine addiction and spent time in a rehabilitation clinic. After his release, he resolved to stay sober and leave the drug business. With two acquaintances, he developed a plan to market as jewelry agatized dinosaur bones found in
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
. The Shaffers agreed to finance the enterprise, and it was this business O'Dea was promoting when he became involved in the large-scale marijuana smuggling venture for which he is best known.
Southeast Asia connection
In 1986, a Canadian involved in selling illegal drugs who was also acquainted with O'Dea told O'Dea about the opportunity to import tons of marijuana from Southeast Asia. Lured by the possibility of large profits, the Shaffers agreed to finance the operation, and O'Dea agreed to manage it. Using a commercial vessel, they transported shiploads of marijuana from
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
and
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
to the coast of
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
. Crews working for O'Dea transferred the marijuana to their commercial fishing boats and repackaged it in fish boxes. They then sailed to their home port in
Anacortes, Washington
Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman. The trucks transported the cargo to California for distribution and sale throughout the United States.
Between 1986 and 1988, O'Dea's Pacific Northwest enterprise successfully smuggled 76 tons of marijuana worth about $300 million. The individual who brought O'Dea into the arrangement drew attention to himself through ostentatious behavior including cocaine-fueled parties, so O'Dea removed him from the operation while promising to pay him after the marijuana was sold. This individual became an informant, and during their final shipment, O'Dea's crew succeeded in transporting the marijuana despite being under surveillance by the
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating illicit Illegal drug trade, drug trafficking a ...
.
Arrest and imprisonment
O'Dea had relapsed into occasional drug use following his first attempt at rehabilitation. After the transport of the Pacific Northwest venture's last marijuana shipment, he fell into constant cocaine use. Following a heart attack brought on by a cocaine overdose, in 1988 he quit drugs and became a volunteer drug and alcohol addiction counselor.
While volunteering as a counselor, O'Dea became friendly with psychologist Dave Richo and made use of his entrepreneurial skills to sell Richo's book ''Letting the Light Through'' by making calls on bookstores throughout
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
. Later, he began to record and sell copies of lectures Richo presented to adult learning students at
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is a public community college in Santa Barbara, California. It opened in 1909 and is located on a campus.
History
Santa Barbara City College was established by the Santa Barbara High School District in 1909, m ...
.
The DEA had continued investigating O'Dea's Pacific Northwest operation, and in 1990 he was arrested. He pleaded guilty in 1991 and was sentenced to ten years in prison. He served a year at
Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island
The Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island (FCI Terminal Island) is a low-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Los Angeles, California. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United St ...
venture capitalist
Venture capital (VC) is a form of private equity financing provided by firms or funds to startup, early-stage, and emerging companies, that have been deemed to have high growth potential or that have demonstrated high growth in terms of number ...
in Toronto. He attracted media attention in 2001 when he published an advertisement in the ''
National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.
'' through which he attempted to obtain employment by highlighting aspects of his drug smuggling endeavors, including his personnel and logistics management skills. He also began to appear on television as a commentator for U.S. and Canadian news programs, frequently providing his views on
marijuana legalization
The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. The ...
,
prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, improve the effectiveness of a penal system, reduce recidivism or implement alternatives to incarceration. It also focuses on ensuring the reinstatement of those whose lives are ...
, and other topics.
As he attempted to establish himself in a post-prison career, O'Dea also began volunteering to give speeches about his life in the drug business. He appeared at schools and parent groups throughout Canada to deliver a presentation called "The Consequences of Choice" in which he used his experiences to dissuade others from following the same path. His efforts resulted in public recognition for his community service from the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
.
O'Dea went on to become a television and film producer. His credits include the show '' Creepy Canada'', which aired on the OLN and
Destination America
Destination America is an American cable television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. The network carries programming focused on the culture of the United States—including food, lifestyles, a ...
networks. In 2003, O'Dea's drug smuggling enterprise was featured on the television series '' Masterminds'' in an episode titled "A Smuggler Supreme".
In 2006, O'Dea published a memoir, ''HIGH: Confessions of a Pot Smuggler''. ''HIGH'' was well-received, and was the winner of the 2007
Arthur Ellis Award
The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, formerly known as the Arthur Ellis Awards, are a group of Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the Crime Writers of Canada for the best Canadian crime and mystery writing published in t ...
for Best True Crime Book.
O'Dea narrated the 2009 documentary ''
Hangman's Graveyard
''Hangman's Graveyard'' is a Canadian documentary film which was originally broadcast in Canada on History Television on December 6, 2009. A work-in-progress screening of the film was presented at the Ontario Archaeological Society's 36th annual s ...
''. In 2012, he appeared as
Kevin O'Leary
Terrence Thomas Kevin O'Leary (born July 9, 1954), also known as Mr. Wonderful, is a Canadian businessman and television personality. From 2004 to 2014, he appeared on various Canadian television shows, including the business news programs ''Sq ...
's advisor on the
CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
Reality TV Show '' Redemption Inc.'' O'Dea told his story of smuggling drugs, getting caught, and changing his life in the September 27, 2012 "Trust Me" segment of the '' Snap Judgment'' radio show.
With U.S. states and Canadian provinces legalizing recreational marijuana beginning in 2012, in recent years celebrities and business people desiring to market marijuana under their brand names, including
Ghostface Killah
Dennis David Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang ...
and
Kurupt
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he formed Tha Dogg Pound in 1992 along with Daz Dillinger; the rap duo has releas ...
have turned to O'Dea to broker arrangements between them, suppliers, and retailers. In 2018, O'Dea was reported to be living in
Montecito, California
Montecito (archaic use of Spanish for woodland or countryside) is an unincorporated town in Santa Barbara County, California, United States.McCormack, Don (1999). ''McCormack's Guides Santa Barbara and Ventura 2000''. Mccormacks Guides. p. 58. ...
, where he continued to work as a broker for legal marijuana entrepreneurs and his neighbors included
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...
and
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...
. In January 2018, O'Dea and his family narrowly escaped a
mudslide
A mudflow, also known as mudslide or mud flow, is a form of mass wasting involving fast-moving flow of debris and dirt that has become liquified by the addition of water. Such flows can move at speeds ranging from 3 meters/minute to 5 meters/ ...
that inundated his hometown. His house was spared, but those of several neighbors sustained significant damage.
In July 2021, O'Dea was a guest on the ''Crime & Entertainment'' podcast, during which he discussed his smuggling career and subsequent efforts to promote prison reform and reform of drug laws. In March 2022, he was a guest on the ''Black & White'' podcast hosted by author and diversity consultant Stephen Dorsey. During their discussion, O'Dea continued his advocacy of criminal justice reform and marijuana legalization. In the summer of 2022, O'Dea obtained financing for a film about the
Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
, and traveled to Ukraine with photographer and videographer Frank Vilaca to document events in the war zone.
Family
In 1972, O'Dea married Eleanor "Ellie" Miller. They divorced in 1973, during his first prison term. While living in California in 1977, he married Suzi Foreman, with whom he had two children, daughter Cherokee and son Cheyenne. They divorced in 1988, and in 1993 O'Dea married Susannah Lewis, whom he met while living in California. They are the parents of a son, Rufus.