Ontario man accused in Ryan Wedding case denied bail

An Ontario man accused of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars in assets for an international drug smuggling ring allegedly led by Ryan Wedding has been denied bail.

Rolan Sokolovski sought to be released ahead of a hearing that will determine whether he’ll be extradited to the United States, where he faces charges over his alleged role in the organization.

Sokolovski’s legal team proposed to have him live with three of his sureties if released on bail and be placed on house arrest with round-the-clock GPS monitoring, among other conditions.

Prosecutors opposed his release, however, arguing Sokolovski poses a flight risk and his detention is necessary to protect the public and confidence in the justice system.

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Sokolovski is alleged to have played a key role in the criminal enterprise by laundering drug money through his jewelry business and procuring luxury items for Wedding.

The U.S. Department of Justice alleges in a December letter that he served as a “de facto bank” for the group and has “tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency and physical assets at his disposal.”

Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder who came to allegedly sit at the top of an international drug empire, was arrested in Mexico last month after a lengthy investigation involving law enforcement in several jurisdictions and brought to the United States to face multiple charges.

He is alleged to have ordered the murders of several people, including a witness who could testify against him in a 2024 narcotics case.

The search intensified last year after U.S. officials placed Wedding on the FBI’s Top 10 most-wanted list and put up a $15-million reward for information leading to his capture.