U.S. Unseals New Charges Against Fugitive Olympian Ryan Wedding
Justice Department Alleges Witness Murder Ordered by Ryan Wedding
The U.S. Justice Department unsealed new charges against former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, 44. Wedding is accused of ordering the killing of a witness who was set to testify against him in a federal drug trafficking case. According to prosecutors, the witness was murdered in January at a restaurant in Colombia after being shot five times in the head.
Wedding is currently listed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Authorities said he has been on the run for years and may be residing in Mexico. The U.S. State Department increased the reward for information leading to his arrest to $15 million.
Federal Prosecutors Describe Large-Scale Drug Operation
Officials allege Wedding is the leader of a transnational criminal enterprise involved in importing large amounts of cocaine into the United States and Canada. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Wedding collaborates with the Sinaloa Cartel to bring approximately six metric tons of cocaine into Los Angeles each year. The drugs were allegedly transported from Mexico to Los Angeles and then distributed to Canada and U.S. cities.
Wedding had previously been indicted in Los Angeles federal court on charges including running a continuing criminal enterprise, murder linked to that enterprise, and additional drug offenses. Authorities also allege that Wedding and his second-in-command, Andrew Clark, ordered multiple murders in Canada to support their operations.
New Indictment Names 19 Defendants, Including Wedding’s Lawyer
The Justice Department said the new indictment names Wedding and 18 others. Among them is Wedding’s lawyer, Deepak Balwant Paradkar, 62, of Ontario. Prosecutors said Paradkar advised Wedding that the witness’s death would result in criminal charges being dropped. Paradkar was arrested Tuesday in Canada and will be extradited to the United States.
Officials stated that ten defendants were arrested Tuesday, bringing the total number in custody to eleven. Authorities continue searching for the gunman responsible for the witness’s death and for four additional defendants, including Wedding. Immigration actions were taken against associates of Wedding’s organization.
International Search Ongoing
The Treasury Department sanctioned Wedding and his alleged enterprise, citing complex financial systems used to launder money. Authorities continue to search for Wedding, a former Olympic athlete who competed for Canada in 2002.