A judge has handed a former Vice music writer and editor a nine-year prison sentence for recruiting and arranging for five people, including an intern at the Toronto-based online media company, to smuggle an “immense” amount of cocaine into Australia. In September, Yaroslav Pastukhov pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to import cocaine into Australia. In 2014, Vice hired Pastukhov — who called himself Slava Pastuk — to cover the music scene in Toronto. Pastukhov told Wang the smuggling plan “was easy and the money was good, so good he had done it himself” weeks before. “He exploited his relationship with these couriers, including Mr. Wang’s dreams of working in the music industry.

Source: thestar December 03, 2019 20:48 UTC