Jimmy Cournoyer

Jimmy Cournoyer, sometimes called the Pot Playboy or the King of Pot, is a convicted Canadian drug trafficker and prior to being arrested, the biggest supplier of marijuana to New York and the US East Coast. He was known for his lavish lifestyle, which included dating lingerie models and partying with Leonardo DiCaprio.^[1]

Originally from Laval, Quebec, Cournoyer was first arrested in 1998 with a few marijuana plants in his Laval apartment. Over several spells in prison, Cournoyer built up a criminal network that grew into a multibillion-dollar international drug trafficking empire that involved the Hell's Angels, the Sinaloa Cartel, Native American smugglers and the Rizzuto and Bonanno crime families. The DEA got a lead on his organization after information provided by a disgruntled girlfriend led to the arrest of Cournoyer and Bonanno associate John Venizelos in 2012.^[2]

In 2012, Cournoyer was arrested as he tried to enter Mexico. In May 2013, Cournoyer pleaded guilty to two charges: money laundering and conspiracies to manufacture and distribute cocaine and marijuana. He was sentenced to 27 years imprisonment. His friend and UFC Champion Georges St. Pierre wrote a letter begging the judge for clemency.^[3] Prosecutors also claimed Cournoyer had $2m put aside for murdering potential witnesses.^[4] Author Bob Halloran is currently working with Jimmy Cournoyer on a book about his life to be published by BenBella Books in 2018 tentatively entitled COSMO, THE KING OF POT. All subsidiary rights are being handled by Matthew Valentinas of Mom's Basement Management.

References

1. New York Post - French-Canadian drug kingpin pleads guilty to trafficking marijuana
2. New York Times - The Rise and Fall of the Biggest Pot Dealer in New York City
3. Montreal Gazette - ‘King of Pot’ Jimmy Cournoyer has UFC’s Georges St-Pierre in his corner
4. New York Post - Mob had $2M ‘hit’ fund: feds