A member of the 38th Street gang who left Los Angeles and allegedly helped former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding operate a billion-dollar drug trafficking network has been charged in a six-count federal indictment, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
Roberto Gomez, 51, also known as “Rob Flores,” “Fat Boy,” “Fats” and “Rooster,” is accused of obtaining sensitive law enforcement information for Wedding to help him evade U.S. authorities.
The charges include conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to import drugs, three counts of being an accessory after the fact, and attempting to conduct a transaction with a specially designated narcotics trafficker.
Gomez, a U.S. citizen, left Los Angeles County for Mexico after he was charged in 2000 with two counts of second-degree robbery. A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted him in 2018 on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. He remains a fugitive in both cases.
According to the indictment, Gomez communicated in Mexico with leaders of foreign criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. He also developed relationships with people who could access sensitive law enforcement information held by Mexican and U.S. agencies.
Gomez allegedly obtained details about law enforcement activity, including arrests, drug seizures, search warrant executions and criminal charges, then passed the information to co-conspirators, including Wedding.
Wedding, a former Canadian Olympian, is accused of turning to drug trafficking and ordering several murders. He was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in March 2025. He surrendered to authorities in January 2026, reportedly under growing pressure from U.S. law enforcement.
Wedding competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, placing 24th in the men’s parallel giant slalom. He is accused of trafficking an estimated $1 billion worth of cocaine.
