MAFS star Timothy Smith shocks after revealing he spent a year in US prison: 'Paid the price'

MAFS groom Timothy Smith has revealed he kept his criminal past a secret from producers when he was being cast for the show last year. The reality star would become one of this season’s most popular participants after being matched with fan favourite Lucinda Light.

However, Timothy has since admitted that he wasn’t completely honest about his past on the show, spilling all about it to A Current Affair on Tuesday.

"I was a helicopter pilot in North America that did something really stupid and made a decision to fly marijuana across the Canadian border into the US and got caught doing it," he shared.

"It’s something I’m not proud of, I’m definitely not proud of it but it doesn’t define who I am and I’m not the same person I was 17 years ago."

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While living in Canada in 2006, Timothy was approached by a group of people who were looking for a helicopter pilot.

"Someone threw some money at me and said: 'Go and take a lesson tomorrow'," he said. “I did and the instructor said I was a natural. That was the beginning of the end.

"I would take off from a little unmanned airport. I had the helicopter sorted and I’d fly up a valley and into a creek. I’d meet a 4WD and land behind it and within a minute the helicopter would be loaded with marijuana and I’d fly south into the US."

Timothy later pleaded guilty to trafficking after flying more than 20 missions across state lines.

"It was $100,000 a trip for a couple of hours of work," Timothy said.

The MAFS star was arrested at customs after returning back from Australia to visit his mother, who had just been diagnosed with cancer.

"That’s where the sentence starts," he said, recalling that he never saw his mum or brother again after both died while he was in jail.

"My world changed. I was shipped off to a federal facility. No guards, four walls, 180 guys, good or bad," he said. "If I could go back and change it, I would. There's no question I'd change it."

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"I wasn't there when my mother and brother died. I paid the price. I pay the price everyday."

"I’m sorry for what I did. I’m sorry to everyone I hurt and I don’t want anyone to do what I did," Timothy added. "I don’t want you to think there’s some sort of glamorous life out there, they are real consequences."

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Timothy plans to start visiting community groups in the hopes of deterring at-risk young men from choosing crime.

"I did something very very stupid and I paid the price. I paid the ultimate price."

It's unclear how MAFS producers weren't aware of this after doing their background checks.

Yahoo Lifestyle has contacted Nine for comment.

With NCA Newswire.

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