'Shark Tank' Contestant in Paint Brush Cover Episode Arrested in Cocaine Bust 'Shark Tank' Contestant Paint Brush Cover Guy Arrested in Cocaine Bust Breaking News 12/18/2017 10:45 AM PT
Daniel Kim
Updated on March 06, 2026
One of the guys who successfully pitched the Paint Brush Cover to Mark Cuban and the rest of the "Shark Tank" team got swept up in a cocaine bust this week.
John DePaola was arrested Sunday as part of a massive drug bust in New Jersey in an operation prosecutors are calling Operation Snowball. Law enforcement officials believe DePaola is one of 9 people tied to a cocaine distribution ring.
The group was allegedly moving about one third of a kilo per week. Cops say they confiscated more than 700 grams of coke, and $14,943.
John and some of his entrepreneur buddies got 15 minutes of fame -- and a lot of money -- when they successfully pitched the Paint Brush Cover to the "Shark Tank" team. Since then the product's been a hit -- it's in 14,000 stores.
