Ryan Wedding, a former snowboarder who represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics, is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after being charged with murder and other crimes.
The FBI has issued a reward of up to $50,000 "for information leading to the apprehension, arrest and extradition" of the 43-year-old Wedding.
A federal arrest warrant has been issued for Wedding in the United States District Court, Central District of California.
Wedding, who is on the FBI's Most Wanted list, is being charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to export cocaine, leading a continuing criminal enterprise, murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug crime, and attempt to commit murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug crime.
The U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California released a statement on the matter, citing Wedding and 15 others for "allegedly running and participating" in a transnational cocaine trafficking operation.
"A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder and 15 other defendants have been charged in a 16-count superseding indictment for allegedly running and participating in a transnational drug trafficking operation that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other locations in the United States, and whose leaders orchestrated multiple murders in furtherance of these drug crimes."
Wedding is considered the "superseding indictment's lead defendant." He and 34-year-old Andrew Clark are charged with murder in retaliation for an unpaid drug debt.
The statement reads as follows:
"...the organization resorted to violence—including multiple murders—to achieve its aims. Wedding and Clark allegedly directed the November 20, 2023, murders of two members of a family in Ontario, Canada, in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that passed through Southern California. Another member of that family survived the shooting but was left with serious physical injuries. Wedding and Clark allegedly also ordered the murder of another victim on May 18, 2024, over a drug debt..."
Per the Associated Press' citing of federal records, Wedding was convicted in 2010 in the United States "of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to prison."
Chris Leather, chief superintendent with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said Wedding also has unresolved and separate drug trafficking charges in Canada dating back to 2015, according to the AP.
Wedding represented Canada in one event, the men's parallel giant slalom, finishing 24th in Salt Lake City.
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