Crime
Former Mob Boss lays out the depth of sports corruption
It’s in every level of sport.
Corruption in sport is real. We have been very aware of this dark side of sport and it is happening in every sport and at almost every level.
My first real exposure to the true reality and depth of the sport corruption problem was when I was with the Toronto Blue Jays during an MLB security meeting at spring training. MLB security and the FBI brought in former Mob Boss Michael Franzese to talk to players and staff about the inner working of organized crime and professional sports.
Michael laid it all out, how they target players, set them up and then get control of their lives and ultimately their in game performance.
It’s Real and It’s Scary!
A few years back amid the corruption and match fixing scandals in professional soccer and the accusations of potential match fixing in other sports, I got fed up!!
So I set out to dig a little deeper to find out:
1) If it is true & if so, how much fixing is going on?
2) If it is true and it is happening, how far down does it really go or how far up – could it reach the top levels of professional sport?
3) If it is happening, who’s masterminding this whole thing and how in the hell are they making it happen!?
So I went back to the best source I could think of, the former Mafia Boss who masterminded brilliant scams from auto dealerships to union kickbacks and financial services and a multi-billion dollar gasoline tax scheme. He was earning millions in cash every week and a big part of his business in his prime were profitable scams in the sports and entertainment industries.
I tracked down former Mafia boss Michael Franzese to ask him how organized crime engaged in illegal sporting scams and what we got was a whole lot more.
Listen here to our conversation with Michael in his first appearance on Krush Performance:
Of course I could not stop there as we learned more about bribes, blackmail, match fixing and administrative corruption from the very top of FIFA to the IOC and Olympic organizing committee members and everywhere in between.
In true Krush Performance fashion, we took a good hard look at the explosive and controversial topic of match fixing in professional sport.
If you have not heard much about match fixing and the corruption around international sports, it’s also very real and it may just run deeper and higher than you might think.
We caught up with Declan Hill, author of “The Fix” and his new book “The Insider’s Guide to Match-Fixing in Football”. We discussed Declan’s dangerous and alarming investigation into the inner workings of a multi-billion dollar illegal gambling market that reaches well beyond the realms of soccer and all the way down to the lower levels of amateur sport.
Listen here at Radio Influence
We will continue to dig deeper into corruption in sport.
It is dangerous and threatens to destroy the very thing that makes sport so important in today’s society –Integrity!
Stay tuned as we look into the very latest Collegiate Basketball scandal.
If you have any Questions, Comments or Smart Remarks or a topic you would like us to investigate let us know, we may dedicate a segment or even an entire show to your topic.
Jeff
(This article is re-published on Todayville with permission. It was originally published on Krushperformance.com on September 17, 2017)
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Jeff Krushell is a noted expert in human performance and talent development.
Jeff is an accomplished entrepreneur in radio, television and in print where he has forged relationships with not just athletes but internationally renowned sport figures, coaches, sport scientists, doctors, business specialist and researchers, all of who are constantly pushing the boundaries of human performance.
Over the last 25 years Jeff has worked in the world of high performance sport guiding athletes of all levels tap into their potential to truly understand what it is like to achieve Human Maximum Performance.
Engineering his unique blend of sport science and training techniques with the holy grail of success; ‘motivation’, Jeff’s expertise lies in creating the next generation of top performers.
Jeff’s message relates to all levels of human performance and is not exclusive to sport.
- Host & Founder of The Krush Performance Radio Show aired on www.RadioInfluence.com &
TSN 1260 Edmonton
- Current Strength and Conditioning Consultant for Major League Baseball International
- Former Strength and Conditioning coach for the Toronto Blue Jays
- Former Strength and Conditioning coach for the Edmonton Eskimos
- Current Strength & Conditioning Consultant for Vauxhall Baseball Academy
- Over the last 25 years trained many Olympic & World Class Athletes
- Former Performance Consultant for Link Management Athlete Agency
- Performance Consultant for CTV, Edmonton
Alberta
Coutts border officers seize 77 KG of cocaine in commercial truck entering Canada – Street value of $7 Million
News release from RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region
Calgary resident charged with attempted drug importation
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at the Coutts port of entry found nearly 77 kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of $7 million during a secondary examination of a commercial truck seeking entry into Canada from the United States. The CBSA arrested the driver, a resident of Calgary.
The Integrated Border Enforcement Team in Alberta, a joint force operation between the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region, CBSA and Calgary Police Service, was notified and a criminal investigation was initiated into the individual.
Surj Singh Salaria (28), a resident of Calgary, was arrested and charged with:
- Importation of a controlled substance contrary to section 6(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;
- Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking contrary to section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and,
- Attempting to export goods that are prohibited, controlled or regulated contrary to section 160 of the Customs Act.
Salaria is scheduled to appear in Lethbridge Provincial Court on Oct. 27, 2025.
“The CBSA remains vigilant in preventing dangerous drugs from reaching our communities. This significant seizure shows CBSA’s detection capabilities and the important role our officers play to stop drug trafficking. We are committed to securing and protecting the border alongside our law enforcement partners.”
- Janalee Bell-Boychuk, Regional Director General, Prairie Region, Canada Border Services Agency
“Through coordinated efforts between law enforcement agencies, a substantial quantity of cocaine was seized before it could reach communities across Alberta. This investigation reinforces the value of a secure border and the vital role that collaboration and intelligence-sharing play in safeguarding the public from the harms of illegal drug trafficking.”
- Supt. Sean Boser, Officer in Charge of Federal Serious and Organized Crime and Border Integrity – Alberta, RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region
“This investigation highlights the strength of our collaborative efforts through the Integrated Border Enforcement Team. By working together with our law enforcement partners, we are able to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs and protect our communities from the violence and harm associated with organized crime.”
- Acting Supt. Jeff Pennoyer, CPS, Criminal Operations & Intelligence Division
IBET’s mandate is to enhance border integrity and security along the shared border, between designated ports of entry, by identifying, investigating and interdicting persons, organizations and goods that are involved in criminal activities.
A months-long RCMP investigation has led to the takedown of a massive synthetic-drug operation resembling the “super labs” often found in British Columbia — but this one was discovered just forty-five minutes north of Toronto. Officers uncovered an industrial-scale facility capable of producing millions of dollars’ worth of fentanyl, methamphetamine, MDMA, and GHB.
The RCMP’s Ontario Federal Policing unit announced Friday that search warrants executed on September 7 in Schomberg, northwest of Toronto, resulted in the seizure of nearly $10 million in suspected controlled substances, along with prohibited weapons, chemical precursors, and a range of illegal production equipment.
In addition to cash, drugs, and chemicals, officers discovered a pill press, firearms, handwritten drug “recipes,” flasks, chemical glassware, and other lab components. Approximately 20,000 litres of hazardous waste were also removed from the site.
Investigators say the probe began in spring 2025, when officers detected a suspicious bulk-chemical order placed by Christopher O’Quinn, operating under the business name O’Quinn Industries. “The chemicals ordered are known to police to be used in the production of fentanyl, MDMA, methamphetamine, and for cannabis extraction,” the RCMP said.
After weeks of surveillance, RCMP officers uncovered what they describe as a large-scale clandestine lab hidden on a Schomberg property. Dismantling the facility required coordination with the Ontario Fire Marshal, Health Canada, and municipal emergency services — a hazardous-materials operation that lasted ten days.
Three suspects — O’Quinn, Liang Xiong Guo, and Katie King — were arrested and face a combined 33 criminal charges.
O’Quinn faces 20 offences, including production and trafficking of Schedule I substances, possession of precursor chemicals, and multiple weapons violations involving a bullpup-style shotgun and a .22-calibre rifle.
Guo faces nine counts linked to the production and trafficking of methamphetamine and MDMA.
King faces four counts related to meth trafficking and illegal firearm possession.
RCMP officials said additional substances are undergoing Health Canada testing to determine whether synthetic opioids such as fentanyl were present.
Authorities also seized $8,000 in cash, multiple firearms, laboratory glassware, and chemicals capable of producing further drug batches valued in the millions.
“The complexity and danger of the operation required extensive inter-agency collaboration,” the RCMP said, thanking partners including the Ontario Provincial Police, Niagara Regional Police, York Regional Police, South Simcoe Police, the Ontario Fire Marshal, Health Canada, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Canada Border Services Agency.
Health Canada testing and court proceedings are ongoing.
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