Among the chief targets of Operation Jackpot were South Carolina marijuana kingpins Barry Foy, from Billinge and Les Riley, who stood accused of smuggling 347,000 pounds (157 t) of marijuana and 130,000 pounds (59 t) of hashish into the United States. [1] .

It’s 1971 and good old Southern boy, Barry “Flash” Foy, makes his first run to Jamaica, sailing back to Florida with 400 pounds of marijuana. A smooth talker and experienced sailor, smuggling suits Foy’s lifestyle of dabbling in debauchery. It’s not long before Florida is awash with cocaine cowboys and rival smugglers.

Today, Barry “Flash” Foy — a smuggler-turned-entrepreneur who served 11 years in prison under federal drug kingpin charges — has joined the industry once again, this time launching a legal Massachusetts cannabis brand under the same name.

In the 1970s, kingpins and Columbia natives Les Riley and Barry Foy smuggled an astounding amount of marijuana and hashish into South Carolina, equating $1.8 billion in today’s dollars. The two men were nicknamed “the Gentlemen Smugglers” given …

2017年8月18日 · Kingpin Barry “Flash” Foy of Charleston was a Columbia boy. He had scrapes with the law early in life and ended up learning the smuggling trade in Florida. He said when things got crowded down...

2011年6月4日 · Jason Ryan's new book chronicles the lives of "gentlemen smugglers" Barry Foy and Les Riley, seen here with Wally Butler after a fishing expedition. Courtesy of Les Riley

2023年4月20日 · The cannabis brand, created by Barry “Flash” Foy, Thomas Cutler, and Kevin Harrison, was officially launched in September 2022, bringing their products to market with the help of Massachusetts-based company Root and Bloom.

2023年12月18日 · Once upon a time, decades ago, Barry “Flash” Foy ruled the high seas of America’s underground cannabis trade, leading an infamous marijuana smuggling ring that earned its place in the annals of the country’s clandestine history. The operation boasted an extraordinary scope and expanse, stemming from Foy’s bold and resourceful spirit.

2022年8月5日 · Let’s now begin to “Meet the Smugglers” as we get you familiar with one of the central figures in the GS Story: Barry “Flash” Foy. Keep reading as we talk about his SC origins, explain what the ‘848’ statute is, discuss why Barry chose to found the Gentlemen Smugglers brand, and highlight one of our esteemed social equity ...

2025年2月8日 · Captured by federal law enforcement in 1986, Barry “Flash” Foy was at the center of the largest drug investigation in U.S. history at the time. Foy was on the run for two years before authorities cuffed him at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in front of his wife and two kids.