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Canadian Lawyer in Olympic Snowboarder Drug Ring Granted Bail Amid Extradition Battle
A prominent Canadian lawyer implicated in an international drug trafficking organization led by former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been granted bail as he awaits extradition proceedings to the United States.
Deepak Paradkar, 62, from Thornhill, Ontario, was released on bail Tuesday following a hearing in the Ontario Superior Court. Justice Peter Bawden determined that Paradkar, who has no prior criminal record, was unlikely to flee while awaiting his extradition hearing.
Paradkar was arrested last month along with several other Canadian nationals as part of a sweeping FBI investigation targeting Wedding, a former Olympic athlete who has risen to notoriety as an alleged drug kingpin. U.S. authorities have placed Wedding on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list, offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his capture.
According to investigators, Wedding is believed to be operating under the protection of the notorious Sinaloa cartel in Mexico. U.S. prosecutors allege that Wedding’s organization has been responsible for moving massive quantities of illegal narcotics throughout North America.
Paradkar’s role in the criminal enterprise was allegedly substantial. U.S. authorities claim he introduced Wedding to traffickers who facilitated the movement of drugs across international borders and directed intelligence-gathering operations after law enforcement seized shipments. Perhaps most damning, prosecutors allege Paradkar provided legal counsel to Wedding regarding a murder witness who was later assassinated.
The witness, whose photograph was allegedly posted online by Wedding’s organization to facilitate identification, was shot in the head at a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, in January. This brazen killing underscores the violent nature of the organization that U.S. authorities are working to dismantle.
Federal prosecutors from the United States strongly opposed Paradkar’s release, arguing that the lawyer faces multiple potential life sentences if convicted in American courts, creating what they described as an “extraordinary” incentive to flee Canadian jurisdiction.
Paradkar’s defense team countered these concerns by emphasizing his deep ties to Canada, lack of connections to other countries, and the financial guarantees his family has provided to secure his compliance with bail conditions. The defense also highlighted Paradkar’s deteriorating health as a factor reducing flight risk.
In his ruling, Justice Bawden noted the testimony of Paradkar’s wife, who committed to ensuring her husband’s adherence to all bail conditions. “I found it very unlikely that Mr. Paradkar would attempt to go underground in Canada,” Justice Bawden stated in his decision.
This case highlights the increasingly sophisticated nature of transnational drug trafficking organizations, which now frequently employ professionals such as lawyers to facilitate their operations. It also demonstrates the complex challenges of international law enforcement cooperation when alleged criminals operate across multiple jurisdictions.
Wedding’s alleged association with the Sinaloa cartel is particularly concerning to authorities. The Sinaloa organization is one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal enterprises, known for its extensive drug trafficking networks and brutal enforcement tactics. The cartel has established deep connections throughout North and Central America, making it a formidable adversary for law enforcement agencies.
The investigation represents a significant effort by U.S. and Canadian authorities to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs across their shared border. Drug trafficking between the two countries has remained a persistent challenge despite numerous enforcement initiatives over the decades.
While a date for Paradkar’s extradition hearing has not yet been announced, the case will likely involve complex legal arguments regarding the strength of the evidence against him and the nature of Canada’s extradition relationship with the United States.
As the legal proceedings unfold, authorities continue their hunt for Wedding, whose transition from Olympic athlete to alleged international drug trafficker represents a dramatic fall from grace in Canadian sports history.
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9 Comments
Wow, this is a major development in an ongoing international drug investigation. The involvement of a Canadian lawyer is quite troubling. I’m glad the authorities are pursuing all leads, but the safety of informants and the broader impact on communities is always a worry in these cases.
As a Canadian, I’m disappointed to see one of our own lawyers implicated in such a serious crime. The involvement of an Olympic athlete-turned-alleged kingpin is also quite shocking. Curious to learn more about how this organization operated and what evidence the authorities have compiled.
This highlights the complex web of international drug operations and the challenges law enforcement faces in dismantling them. The $15 million reward for information on the alleged ringleader, Wedding, shows how high the stakes are.
Absolutely, these large-scale drug trafficking cases often involve intricate global networks that are difficult to unravel. Glad to see authorities are pursuing all leads, though the safety of informants is certainly a major concern.
The bail decision seems reasonable given the lack of a criminal record, but the alleged scale of this drug operation is still very concerning. Curious to see if Paradkar cooperates with authorities or tries to flee. Hopefully this case leads to the dismantling of the entire trafficking network.
Interesting development in this case. The bail decision suggests the court sees Paradkar as unlikely to flee while the extradition process unfolds. Curious to learn more about his alleged involvement and the extent of the drug trafficking organization’s reach.
The alleged links between this lawyer and the former Olympic snowboarder are quite intriguing. I wonder what specific role the lawyer played in the drug trafficking operation and if he had any knowledge of the full scope of the organization’s activities. Hopefully the extradition proceedings shed more light on the case.
The bail decision is interesting, though I can understand the court’s reasoning given the lack of a criminal record. Still, the alleged scale of this drug trafficking operation is very worrying. I hope the extradition process leads to a thorough unraveling of the entire network.
This case highlights the global nature of the illegal drug trade and the need for continued international cooperation to combat it. The involvement of a Canadian lawyer is certainly concerning, but I’m glad to see the authorities taking this investigation seriously.