A former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and 15 others are accused of running a transnational drug empire and killing those who stood in their way.
Federal prosecutors say Ryan Wedding, who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics, spent 13 years running a ruthless criminal operation that moved an average of 60 tons of cocaine per year, using Los Angeles as a hub to move drugs from Colombia through the U.S. and Canada.
He and his co-defendant Andrew Clark are also accused of orchestrating four murders in Canada, including those of an innocent couple last November.
“Wedding and Clark directed the murders of two individuals, parents, the Sidhus, who were visiting Canada from India, visiting their family,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. “This was a case of mistaken identity. Wedding and Clark believed these individuals were responsible for a lost cocaine shipment, but they weren't.”
Investigators say Wedding’s operation was connected to the Sinaloa cartel, which offered them protection in Mexico.
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Clark was arrested last week by Mexican law enforcement, but Wedding is still at large and is believed to be in Mexico. The FBI is offering a $50,000 cash reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
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