Canadian Drug Lawyer Arrested Amid FBI Crackdown
The FBI and Justice Department announced on Wednesday that Deepak Paradkar, a Canadian lawyer specializing in drug cases, has been arrested as part of an extensive operation targeting Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder.
Wedding, who represented Canada in the Olympics, is currently evading authorities and faces serious charges. These include murder, witness tampering, and other offenses linked to organized crime related to drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Bill Esseri described Paradkar as Wedding’s legal counsel at a press conference. Esseri went on to allege that Paradkar encouraged Wedding to kill a witness to potentially dismiss the case against him.
Esseri stated, “His lawyer advised him to kill this witness. The lawyer told him, ‘If you kill this witness, the case will be dismissed.'” Paradkar is now in custody and will be extradited to the U.S. for trial.
The indictment specifies that Paradkar and unidentified associates had planned discussions about how to assist Wedding. One accomplice, Andrew Clark, noted that murdering a victim could benefit their case by possibly leading to the dismissal of federal charges against Wedding.
Further allegations indicated that Paradkar had arranged for Clark to secretly overhear discussions among suspects. Notably, there were instructions for Clark to eliminate any mention of a murder plot from their conversations.
On the same day, the U.S. Treasury issued sanctions against Paradkar, accusing him of breaching client trust and professional ethics by allowing eavesdropping on privileged communications.
Who Is Ryan Wedding?
Ryan Wedding transitioned from Olympic athlete to a prominent drug kingpin, making him a key target for the FBI. According to the press release, Paradkar allegedly facilitated various illegal activities for Wedding, including bribery and murder.
Wedding reportedly compensated Paradkar with luxury items for these services. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that Wedding had even published photos of a federal witness online, leading to that individual’s murder in Colombia.
As the investigation unfolds, federal authorities are intensifying their efforts to capture Wedding, increasing the reward for information leading to his arrest to $15 million. Wedding, believed to be a violent criminal linked to a multitude of murders, is accused of significant drug trafficking operations across North America and beyond.
Wedding’s criminal record includes orchestrating violent acts and targeting witnesses to protect his drug empire. U.S. officials are keen on bringing him and his accomplices to justice, with charges that could see them face life sentences.
