Multi-Million Dollar Cocaine Ring Ran Through Beverly Hills

Street tales.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Screenwriters, it's time to get to work: the story of Alessandro Taloni must be told. The 39-year-old, who pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges last week, has been accused of helping to move millions of dollars worth of drugs for the Rizzuto crime family from his Beverly Hills home. Federal agents raided Taloni's home and Los Angeles stash house, discovering 49 kilos of cocaine and $1.6 million in cash. A total of $10 million from the entire operation was seized.

Not only did Taloni secure and sell drugs, he aided in laundering the money. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, he was sent from Montreal to L.A. to buy cocaine in bulk from Mexican drug lords. Through his underworld ties, he was reportedly able to traffic tens of millions of dollars worth of drugs. Ten members of the Rizuotto and Bonanno crime families, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Hells Angels were also indicted for the shipment of $1 billion worth of cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy into the U.S. over a 14-year period beginning in 1998. The proceeds were then used to buy even more cocaine to be shipped back to Canada.

Taloni faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and will have to depart with nearly $3 million in dirty money. Long live the game.

[via The Huffington Post]

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