Daniel Kinahan, the accused head of the Kinahan criminal organization, is being sued by a US boxing manager.
Independent.ie reports that Daniel Kinahan is currently facing a lawsuit from boxing manager Moses Heredia and Heredia Boxing Management. The lawsuit accuses Kinahan, and major boxing powerbrokers MTK Global and Golden Boy Productions, of signing a client who was already under contract with Heredia.
This case revolves around Joseph Diaz, the 31-1 IBF super featherweight champion, who was signed to MTK Global earlier this year. The lawsuit states that Diaz was locked in with Heredia and that MTK paid the 28-year-old $100,000 up front to seal his signature.
In addition to claiming one of Heredia’s his clients was poached, the lawsuit makes a number of serious claims against Kinahan. Among those claims are four separate, and alleged, civil breaches under US organized crime law.
The lawsuit claims that these breaches of the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization) Act harmed Heredia Boxing Management. Specifically the lawsuit accused Kinahan of arranging fights for MTK fighters that are “steeped in money obtained from drug-trafficking proceeds”, which are then laundered through a legitimate business.
The lawsuit accuses MTK Global of “using and abusing US law in an attempt to gain a foothold in a lucrative market to continue their money-laundering operation.”
MTK Global, which has deals with Top Rank Promotions and ESPN and represents Tyson Fury, Darren Till and many other top fighters, started life as Macklin’s Gym Marbella (MGM) in 2012.
MGM was set up as primarily a training facility in southern Spain by Kinahan and former boxer Matthew Macklin. Kinahan was living in Spain during this time, along with many other individuals who authorities allege were members of the Kinahan organized crime group (KOCG) aka the Kinahan Cartel.
The KOCG, which is believed to have been created by Kinahan’s father Christy Kinahan, is accused of the being the largest drug trafficking operation in Ireland, as well as having operations in mainland Europe, North Africa, South America and Oceania.
MGM changed its name to MTK in 2017, a year after one of their boxing shows was attacked by gunmen at the Regency Hotel in Dublin. That shooting resulted in the death of alleged Kinahan lieutenant David Byrne, though media reports stated that Daniel Kinahan may have been the intended target.
The Regency Hotel shooting is one of many incidents tied to the Kinahan-Hutch gang war, which started in 2015 and has resulted in at least 18 deaths. The feud started when Gary Hutch was murdered in Spain, allegedly by members of the KOCG.
Hutch was the nephew of alleged Hutch Gang leader Gerry Hutch. Since that murder a number of Hutch family members have been killed.
When MGM changed its name to MTK, it claimed that Kinahan—who relocated to the Middle East after the Regency Hotel shooting—was no longer involved with the company. However, plenty of evidence surfaced that suggested otherwise.
This year top heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury announced that Kinahan was instrumental in negotiating his deals to fight Anthony Joshua in 2021.
That announcement set up a chain reaction that included Irish politicians asking broadcasters to boycott the fight, Kinahan losing his advisory role with Bahrain based KHK Sports, Fury stating that he would no longer work with Kinahan and MTK announcing that Kinahan was stepping away from boxing.
This new lawsuit alleges that MTK is still part-owned and controlled by Kinahan.
