How YouTube Cooking Videos Led To This Suspected Mafioso's Arrest
Everyone channels their passion for food in different ways. Some of us obsess about specialty ingredients, others get deep into restaurant reviews, and a handful of us show off our cooking prowess on YouTube. Online cooking videos have the potential to attract some serious buzz. According to Business Insider, a good portion of cooking channels not only pull in some serious revenue but take cooking fads and culinary tutorials to levels that rival television shows. While some heavy contenders dominate this sphere, we can dream of attaining this level of stardom with our channel.
These same dreams of stardom have landed a former mafia member in hot water and led to his capture in the Caribbean. According to CNN, authorities in the Dominican Republic identified a mob fugitive who has evaded police since 2014 thanks to his YouTube cooking channel. Marc Feren Claude Biart, age 53, used to traffic drugs between the Netherlands and Italy for the Cacciola clan of the 'Ndrangheta mafia before fleeing for years. In this time, he started a YouTube cooking channel that showed off his Italian culinary prowess, while never revealing his face.
A misstep led to Biart's arrest
If you think you can hide from Interpol while appearing regularly on a YouTube cooking channel, you have another thing coming. According to CNN, police didn't need to see Biart's face to identify him. Throughout his cooking videos, Biart showed off distinct tattoos that led authorities right to him. The former mafioso has been extradited back to Europe to stand trial, with Italy emphasizing that anyone who commits felonies like Biart's shouldn't feel safe hiding from authorities, especially if they regularly host a YouTube cooking channel.
We can only hold our breath and see how the litigation plays out next for Biart. His arrest follows that of hundreds of 'Ndrangheta mafia members in recent months, as Italy continues to crack down on organized crime. This latest incident clearly illustrates a key lesson for anyone on the run from authorities: Don't advertise yourself online and show off how well you can cook.