Joe Warmington, QMI Agency
, Last Updated: 11:01 AM ET
TORONTO ??Mayor Rob Ford's close friend ? whom he once described as "straight as an arrow" ? faces four charges after being arrested Tuesday night in the city's west end.
Police announced Wednesday morning that Alexander "Sandro" Lisi, 35, has been charged with trafficking marijuana, possession of proceeds of crime, possession of marijuana and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
A second man arrested at the same Etobicoke strip mall has also been charged.
Jamshid Bahrami, 47, of Toronto, is accused of possession of cocaine, three counts of trafficking marijuana and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
Both men are expected to appear in court Wednesday morning.
The case brings allegations Ford was caught on a cellphone video smoking what appears to be crack cocaine back to the forefront. It also comes just as Ford is about to head to Austin, Texas, for a business mission.
It is not known if the police investigation that netted Lisi is related to the police investigation into the alleged video.
Ford has denied being an "addict" and said he won't comment on a video that "doesn't exist."
Two reporters from the Toronto Star and one from American website Gawker claim to have seen the video.
In the weeks following the video allegations, police conducted the Project Traveller raids during which officers arrested dozens of suspects and seized drugs and guns, as well as laptops and cellphones.
In an August interview with QMI Agency, Ford denied reports that Lisi had acted as his driver or security guard.
At the time, Ford shot down reports that Lisi had encounters with the law and that he had been searching for the alleged crack video.
He claimed the reports were "nonsense" and that Lisi "was straight as an arrow."
Ford went on to say Lisi is a "friend" and not in his employ as a driver.
The mayor was unavailable for comment early Wednesday morning.
Ford's two spokesmen have yet to respond to a media request about Lisi's arrest.
The Toronto Sun photographed Ford with Lisi in May in an elevator at the Air Canada Centre during a Toronto Maple Leaf playoff game. At the time, Lisi didn't appear to be working for the mayor.
Ford is expected to leave Toronto Wednesday afternoon for the five-day trip to Texas.
? with files from Don Peat
Source: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2013/10/02/21165661.html?cid=rssnews
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