THUNDER BAY - A former Olympic snowboarder born in Thunder Bay has been indicted on numerous drug trafficking and murder charges in the United States in connection to a large drug trafficking ring involving shipping Columbian cocaine to Canada.
Ryan James Wedding, 43, who was born in Thunder Bay and now residing in Mexico, was among 14 individuals charged under a 16-count indictment in the state of California.
Wedding was previously charged with running a continuing criminal enterprise, murder, and conspiring to possess, distribute, and export cocaine.
Andrew Clark, 34, another Canadian citizen was arrested Oct. 8, 2024 on the indictment by Mexican authorities but Wedding remains at large.
According to a media release issued by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the first superseding indictment alleges: “Wedding, Clark, and others conspired to ship bulk quantities of cocaine – weighing hundreds of kilograms – from Southern California to Canada through a Canada-based drug transportation network.”
The cocaine from Columbia was transported through Mexico to the Los Angeles area where it would be stored in stash houses before being delivered to transportation network couriers to transport it to Canada using semi-trucks.
“As alleged in the superseding indictment, 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,” the Attorney’s Office media release reads.
“Wedding and Clark allegedly also ordered the murder of another victim on May 18, 2024, over a drug debt. Clark and Malik Damion Cunningham, 23, a resident of Canada, are charged with the April 1, 2024, murder of another victim in Ontario, Canada.”
Wedding competed for Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games in snowboarding.
According to the Attorney’s Office, Wedding is charged with eight felonies: “two counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, one count of conspiracy to export cocaine, one count of leading a continuing criminal enterprise, three counts of murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug crime, and one count of attempt to commit murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug crime.”
“As alleged in the indictment, an Olympic athlete-turned-drug lord is now charged with leading a transnational organized crime group that engaged in cocaine trafficking and murder, including of innocent civilians,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.
“My office’s mandate is to protect the public and stopping sophisticated and violent organized crime groups goes to the heart of that mission. We will continue to collaborate with our federal, local, and international law enforcement partners to bring these groups to justice.”
As part of the investigation, more than one ton of cocaine was seized, as well as three firearms, ammunition, $255,400 in U.S. currency, and more than $3.2 million in cryptocurrency.
