Mayor Rob Ford says he is "very surprised" to learn that one of his friends is facing drug-related charges.
Alessandro (Sandro) Lisi, 35, was arrested on Tuesday evening, in connection with an investigation that saw police execute a search warrant at a dry cleaning shop on Wincott Drive and Lisi's family home.
Police say Lisi faces a drug trafficking charge, as well as charges of possession of property obtained by crime, possession of marijuana and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
A second man, Jamshid Bahrami, 47, faces five charges in connection with the same investigation.
Lisi is a friend of Ford and has served as an occasional driver for the mayor.
Ford spoke briefly to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, saying that he was surprised to hear about the charges.
“I’m surprised, I’ve very surprised,” Ford said.
In the spring, the Toronto Star and the U.S. gossip website Gawker both reported that someone had been shopping a video that allegedly showed the mayor using crack cocaine.
The mayor denied both using crack cocaine and the video’s existence.
The Star has reported that Lisi had been searching for the alleged video.
The reports about the alleged drug video made headlines across the country and even became fodder for late-night talk-show hosts on U.S. television.
Ford, 44, was elected as the mayor of Toronto three years ago. Before that, he served as a city councillor in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke.
During his time as mayor, Ford has often made headlines both for his work at Toronto City Hall and his life outside of it.
And aside from the recent questions about the alleged drug video, Ford has faced other high-profile challenges during his three years as mayor.
Last year, a conflict-of-interest ruling nearly saw him removed from office, though Ford appealed a judge’s ruling and held onto his job.
The mayor also faced a defamation lawsuit that was eventually thrown out in court.
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