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Shaun Attwood, the former ecstasy trafficker appears in the new true crime documentary Sons of Ecstasy, released on Max on January 9, 2025. The documentary is directed by Julian P. Hobbs and Elli Hakami and produced for Investigation Discovery by Talos Films.
Shaun belongs to a small town in England named Widnes. During his formative years, he used to frequently travel to Arizona to meet his aunts and soon decided to move there. As stated on Shaun's website, he was a business graduate and became a stock-market millionaire at an early age. But, he was also involved in selling ecstasy in the rave parties, that he himself organized.
BBC reported that he was arrested on May 16, 2002, and was sentenced to 9½ years, serving almost six years. He claims to have read over 1000 books during his time in prison, which changed his life. Shaun has now moved to London and is working as an author, activist, and anti-drug campaigner.
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He also runs a successful self-titled YouTube channel where he is involved in true crime topics. He has garnered around 945K subscribers on this platform.
Shaun Attwood is banned from America for life
Shaun Attwood is now a successful author, speaker, and activist, having given four TED Talks. Shaun describes his arrival in America with these words on his website:
"I arrived in Phoenix, Arizona a penniless business graduate from a small industrial town in England. Within a decade, I became a stock-market millionaire."
According to his website, he led a double life as an ecstasy trafficker. He threw rave parties and distributed ecstasy in competition with the Mafia boss, Sammy the Bull Gravano. He claimed that Sammy's crew put a hit on him.
He was arrested on May 16, 2002, but wasn't sentenced for the next two years as he led a lengthy legal battle against a 200-year sentence that he was facing. He served almost 6 years in jail. After getting released from prison in 2007, he was deported back to England and banned from America for life.
Shaun Attwood is now an anti-drug campaigner
After being deported, Shaun Attwood moved to a place near London and started his first-ever prison YouTube channel and blog, where he published letters and accounts sent to him by other prisoners. His content centered around the condition of inmates and the ill-treatment they faced. He led a campaign against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his methods of running prison.
Attwood is an active anti-drug campaigner and frequently visits schools and universities across the UK and Europe to advocate the negative consequences of drugs and crime. He has authored multiple books including Party Time, Hard Time, Who Killed Epstein?, etc.
His YouTube content is centered around true crime topics and he often interacts with prolific guests like Charlie Robinson and Richard Dawkins. He is in a relationship with his YouTube channel's co-hot Jen Hopkins, who gave birth to their son on August 29, 2023.
About Sons of Ecstasy
Sons of Ecstasy will explore the world of the ecstasy trade that defined Arizona's underground scene during the 90s, of which Shaun Attwood was a key player. Gerard Gravano and his father Salvatore Gravano, other main players involved in the trade, will appear on camera to tell their version of the story. The documentary will also shed light on the rivalry between Shaun and Gerard Gravano.
The film is produced by Talos Films in association with Investigation Discovery. Here's how the platform describes the documentary:
"At the epicenter of the 1990s ecstasy drug trade in Arizona sits an unusual rivalry. English stockbroker Shaun Attwood faces off against Gerard Gravano, the son of notorious New York mobster and hitman Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano. For the first time, the Gravanos tell their side of the story."
The description further states:
"Through riveting first-hand accounts from inside both factions, the film unravels the unexpected showdown between the British business guru and the Mafia heir apparent in the Arizona desert. Guns, gangsters, and underground raves set the stage in a deadly battle for control of an Ecstasy Empire."
The story of the Arizona ecstasy trade is available to stream on Max, starting January 9, 2025. Viewers can watch the documentary with a subscription to the platform.
Stay tuned for more news and updates on Sons of Ecstasy and other films and TV shows as the year unfolds.
