Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary has hired prominent Canadian defense attorney Brian Greenspan, who previously represented Justin Bieber, amid the ongoing investigation into a fatal boat crash on Ontario, Canada’s Lake Joseph late last month. Currently, no charges have been brought against O’Leary.
The first to report the news, The Blast points out that Greenspan represented Bieber after he was accused in 2013 of physically assaulting an Uber driver following a night of partying. The charges against the signer were dropped.
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Greenspan also represented Naomi Campbell and Catherine Smith. In 1986, Smith admitted to injecting John Belushi with a fatal injection of heroin and cocaine.
The news comes after O’Leary’s boat, driven by his wife, Linda O’Leary, crashed into a 13-person vessel around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24. The crash left two people – 64-year-old Gary Poltash and 48-year-old Susanne Brito – dead and three others injured. Neither O’Leary nor his wife were harmed in the collision.
Amid the ongoing investigation, statements that the Shark Tank star made following the deadly collision have come under question.
After TMZ reported on the incident last Tuesday, O’Leary issued a statement to the news outlet, stating that he “was a passenger in a boat that was involved in a tragic collision with another watercraft that had no navigation lights on and then fled the scene.”
West Parry Sound OPP Constable Joe Scali, however, confirmed that both boats left the scene of the crash to contact “emergency services.” Both vessels were then transported to the West Parry Sound OPP detachment for inspection.
O’Leary’s statement that the larger boat didn’t have proper navigation lights is also under scrutiny. According to passengers aboard the larger vessel, the navigation lights were fully functional and on at the time of the crash. O’Leary, however, has claimed that there is video that proves his statements are true.
Meanwhile, Canadian authorities are remaining mum about the investigation.
“The investigation is just ongoing and they’re not releasing anything until the end of the investigation,” Scali told the Toronto Sun, adding that investigators are continuing to look through witness statements and other evidence. “This is a regular, normal investigation, looking at all the aspects — we have marine technical experts.”
“They have their means of matching everything up with injuries sustained by people [and] what caused the injuries puts them where they were seated,” Scali added. “If (charges are) warranted, the only way to get there is getting everything completed.”
In his official statement, O’Leary said he is fully cooperating with authorities. Police have not filed any charges in the case.
