Married At First Sight Australia boyfriend Timothy Smith was revealed to be a convicted drug dealer serving time in a US prison on Tuesday night.
The season 11 star’s sordid history was revealed by A Current Affair, where viewers were shocked to learn that the real estate mogul, 52, spent more than a year behind bars.
Timothy, who lived in Vancouver at the time, said he used a helicopter to illegally smuggle large quantities of marijuana from Canada to the United States.
“I was a helicopter pilot in North America and I did something really stupid,” he said, revealing that he was paid to take flying lessons for the purpose of trafficking.
‘It’s something I’m not proud of. “I’m definitely not proud of it, but it doesn’t define who I am and I’m not the same person I was 17 years ago.”
Married At First Sight Australia boyfriend Timothy Smith, 52 (pictured), was revealed to be a convicted drug dealer who served time in a US prison on Tuesday night.
Timothy said he would earn $100,000 per trip across the border flying in a helicopter filled with marijuana.
“I would take off from a small unmanned airport and fly down a valley to a stream where I would meet an all-terrain vehicle… within a minute, the helicopter would be loaded,” he said.
Timothy was captured by police in Los Angeles while returning to the country after visiting his sick mother in Australia.
The season 11 star’s sordid history was revealed by A Current Affair, where viewers were shocked to learn that the real estate mogul spent more than a year behind bars.
The boyfriend was sentenced for “marijuana trafficking across an international border” in 2006, but “they added 4 or 6 months of immigration.”
Despite spending his days locked up alongside hardened criminals, his true punishment came when his mother and younger brother Dave died while he was in prison.
An emotional Timothy said Dave called him during the beginning of his sentence and told him, “Don’t let anyone mess with you” and “I’ll be there when you get out,” but he wasn’t there.
Tragedy struck midway through Timothy’s sentence when his mother died of cancer and his brother committed suicide just months after her death.
Timothy, who was living in Vancouver at the time, said he used a helicopter to illegally smuggle large quantities of marijuana from Canada to the US.
Timothy said he didn’t tell MAFS producers that he was a convicted drug smuggler when he applied for the show.
The groom was paired with fan favorite Lucinda Light during his stint on MAFS this year, but they split after a disastrous visit to a family home in Melbourne.
The couple ended their marriage at the following commitment ceremony, and Timothy acknowledged his lackluster effort to the experts.
“I didn’t walk into a family home with the best attitude,” she said at the time, before admitting that she found the deep emotional exploration “uncomfortable” and “overwhelming.”
Even though their romance didn’t work out, Timothy and Lucinda have maintained a close friendship since the cameras stopped rolling.
Timothy, who was paired with Lucinda Light (right), said he did not tell MAFS producers that he was a convicted drug smuggler when he applied for the show.
The former on-screen couple have been spotted on nights out together, while Lucinda recently gushed about how “glad” she is to have Timothy as a “dear friend.”
During this week’s explosive reunion, Timothy and Lucinda thrilled viewers when they revealed they had continued to build their bond after leaving the show.
They told their castmates and the show’s relationship experts that they stayed in touch and became closer after a rocky start to the experiment.
“I’m not as tough as I used to be,” Timothy said about how much he had changed thanks to Lucinda’s support.
‘There are a lot of emotional things that I have been dealing with and dealing with. It’s okay to not be okay and Lou showed me that,” she added.
‘She showed me how to let a few people in. The experiment has been an incredible experience. She has loved every part of it.’