A man who once had a successful appearance on the show Shark Tank has been accused of playing a role in a New Jersey drug ring.
John DePaola was arrested Sunday in what prosecutors have called a cocaine-distribution ring in the Freehold area.
The 53-year-old appeared on a 2014 episode of the ABC series, in which aspiring business owners pitch products and services to potential investors.
His paint brush cover company attracted a $200,000 investment from Shark Tank investor and co-host Lori Greiner.
DePaola was one of nine people who were arrested as part of the sting, which authorities dubbed "Operation Snowball."
The group was moving approximately one-third of a kilogram of cocaine a week, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
DePaola is charged with one count of third-degree conspiracy to possess cocaine.
His attorney, Herbert Ellis, told The Associated Press that the charge is "baffling" and "without merit."
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