Ex-Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding charged with ordering killings in cocaine trafficking ring

An ex-Olympic snowboarder who stays a fugitive is going through federal costs alleging he ordered killings as a part of a cocaine trafficking ring that ran stash homes in Los Angeles and trafficked medication throughout North America, an operation prosecutors have described as ruthless and lethal.

Ryan James Marriage ceremony, 43, competed for Canada within the 2002 Salt Lake Metropolis Olympic Winter Video games earlier than he was convicted in 2010 of trying to purchase cocaine from a U.S. authorities agent. He’s presently on the run and residing in Mexico, federal prosecutors say, as he faces eight felony costs together with homicide in reference to a seamless prison enterprise and drug crime. A superseding indictment unsealed Thursday particulars costs towards him and 15 different defendants.

The FBI has introduced a $50,000 reward for info resulting in the arrest and extradition of Marriage ceremony, who authorities say needs to be thought-about armed and harmful. 

A federal warrant for his arrest was issued on Sept. 17.

“For the final 13 years, Marriage ceremony ran this prison enterprise,” U.S. Legal professional for the Central District of California Martin Estrada advised reporters throughout a information convention Thursday, describing the alleged drug ring as a “ruthless” operation that made billions of {dollars}.

A number of defendants already arrested within the case are scheduled to seem in court docket this coming week in Miami, Los Angeles and Michigan. 

Andrew Clark, 34, is a fellow Canadian citizen who has been described by prosecutors as Marriage ceremony’s right-hand man. He was arrested on Oct. 8, in accordance with federal prosecutors.

In November 2023, Marriage ceremony and Clark allegedly ordered the killing of a pair who was visiting Canada from India. That they had believed the 2 individuals had been liable for a misplaced cocaine cargo, Estrada stated, however that wasn’t really the case.

“This was a case of mistaken identification,” Estrada stated. “They had been killed in chilly blood in entrance of their daughter, who was additionally shot 13 occasions.”

On common, the drug trafficking operation would allegedly ship round 60 tons of cocaine by North America, Estrada stated. As an example, in March 2024, it allegedly delivered 293 kilograms of cocaine, or about 646 kilos, for cargo and distribution to Canada and one other cargo the next month contained 375.1 kilograms, or 827 kilos, federal authorities stated.

Prosecutors stated a number of defendants possessed about 1.8 tons of cocaine with a avenue worth of round $23 to $25 million.

A number of murders had been dedicated as a part of the drug community and cryptocurrency was used to launder tens of millions of {dollars} — federal investigators seized $3 million from one cryptocurrency pockets alone, Estrada stated.

“They’d use contract killers to assassinate anybody who they noticed as an impediment to their operation,” Estrada stated.

Mass portions of cocaine had been sourced from Columbia, the place it was cooked or manufactured in so-called cocaine kitchens, earlier than being transported into Mexico, in accordance with federal prosecutors. From there, the cocaine was allegedly trafficked into the U.S. in long-haul vehicles and introduced into Southern California.

“As soon as in the US, they used the Los Angeles space as a hub for his or her transportation community,” Estrada stated, saying Canadian handlers would go to stash homes in LA to coordinate the transportation of cocaine to the East Coast and Canada. 

After reaching the very best stage in his sport, Marriage ceremony has allegedly spent greater than a decade working an expansive — and lethal — drug ring, in accordance with prosecutors. “He selected to grow to be a significant trafficker and he selected to grow to be a killer,” Estrada stated.

This yr, in Might, Marriage ceremony and Clark are accused of ordering the killing of a person who was fatally shot as he sat inside his automotive within the driveway of his dwelling. 

Estrada stated individuals killed in reference to the drug operation have been “shot execution-style.”

In response to federal prosecutors, Marriage ceremony has been identified to go by aliases together with “Large,” “El Jefe” and “Public Enemy.”   

As a part of the case, investigators have seized greater than 1 ton of cocaine, $255,400 in U.S. money, greater than $3.2 million in cryptocurrency, three firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition.