Brian O'Dea (born September 1, 1948) is a Canadian businessman, author, television personality, and former drug smuggler. 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 to the Pacific Northwest and California, between 1986 and 1988, O'Dea's organization successfully smuggled 76 tons of marijuana worth about $300 million into Washington, 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. Early life O'Dea was born in St. John's, Newfoundland 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 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. 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 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 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 (ecstasy). Drug dealer After leaving the university without graduating, O'Dea continued to deal drugs and became an importer of marijuana