Skip to main content

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is shown on the U.S. website Gawker.com published Thursday May 16, 2013. Anthony Smith, 21, was shot to death outside a nightclub in the Entertainment District in downtown Toronto.

A man facing weapons and drug charges made his first court appearance Wednesday since reports surfaced that he is the person who tried to sell an alleged video of Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine.

Dressed in an orange jumpsuit and appearing via video link in a North Toronto courtroom, Mohamed Siad appeared calm, nodding politely at the judge when addressed.

The Toronto Star reported last week that Mr. Siad is the same man who showed them the video in the back seat of a car in May, and asked for "six figures" to obtain it.

The Star also reported that Mr. Siad was stabbed by other inmates after his arrest.

Mr. Siad appeared Wednesday with his new lawyer, Nyron Dwyer, after his previous lawyer Daniel Brown removed himself from the case. Mr. Siad is set to appear in court again Oct. 1.

Mr. Siad, 27, was arrested during the Project Traveller mass raids on an apartment building complex in Etobicoke.

He is facing multiple charges for cocaine trafficking, weapons trafficking, unauthorized possession of a handgun, conspiracy to commit cocaine and weapons trafficking and participating in the activities of a criminal group.

Mr. Siad is alleged to be a member of the Dixon City Bloods, a street gang based in Etobicoke.

Interact with The Globe