Judge cites U.S. evidence after FBI seizes phone with messages tying jeweller to alleged Ryan Wedding ring

An Ontario Superior Court judge said there is a preponderance of evidence linking Toronto‑area jeweller Rolan Sokolovski to an alleged international drug‑trafficking network led by former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, after U.S. authorities seized a phone containing hundreds of encrypted messages. Justice Peter Bawden made the comment during Mr. Sokolovski’s bail hearing in Toronto, where the U.S. government is seeking his extradition on money‑laundering and drug charges.

Mr. Sokolovski, 37, has been detained since his arrest in November. He faces U.S. charges of conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to distribute and export cocaine, which he denies. None of the allegations have been proven in court in Canada or the United States.

Court documents filed in Canada say the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation seized a phone that contained hundreds of messages on Threema, an encrypted messaging app, between Mr. Sokolovski and members of the alleged Wedding organisation. The documents say some messages discussed cryptocurrency and bank transfers, and that transactions appeared to involve bulk cash, wire transfers and crypto.

U.S. prosecutors allege Mr. Sokolovski used his jewellery business to launder millions of dollars in proceeds from the criminal network and facilitated payments, including purchases of jewellery, vehicles and other high‑end assets for Wedding and others. The FBI has also described large asset seizures tied to the investigation, including motorcycles believed to be connected to Mr. Wedding.

Mr. Sokolovski is seeking release on bail ahead of extradition proceedings. He has offered to post $2 million and proposed a supervision plan that would place him with three sureties, with a fourth living nearby. The proposed sureties have also pledged financial contributions toward his bail.

Prosecutors oppose release, arguing Mr. Sokolovski poses a flight risk and that keeping him in custody is necessary to protect the public. Defence counsel Michelle Psutka objected to questioning of one proposed surety about U.S. allegations, saying the allegations were not the subject of the bail hearing and that some of the U.S. information was "false."

Justice Bawden imposed a publication ban on the identities of the proposed sureties, accepting defence arguments that their safety could be at risk given the alleged violence linked to the Wedding organisation. Two of the potential sureties testified in court and said they did not know detailed information about Mr. Sokolovski’s finances or income sources.

On Monday Mr. Sokolovski testified about his finances, telling the court he did not draw a salary from his company, Diamond Tsar, and filed personal tax returns showing negligible income in some years. Corporate documents referenced in court suggest the company’s revenues varied considerably, reaching roughly $37 million in one year, while reported profits remained low, around 1 per cent in some years.

Mr. Sokolovski told the court he earned hundreds of thousands of dollars trading cryptocurrency and playing poker over the years. He said he did not report cryptocurrency holdings on his income tax returns because he was unaware of reporting requirements.

Mr. Sokolovski is one of eight people in Canada charged in November in connection with alleged ties to Mr. Wedding’s network. The U.S. is seeking extradition for Mr. Sokolovski and several co‑accused, including Toronto‑area lawyer Deepak Paradkar and others accused of laundering funds or facilitating the organisation’s activities.

Prosecutors allege Mr. Sokolovski paid an alleged Montreal hitman with a bejewelled necklace for involvement in the killing of a man in Colombia whom Mr. Wedding suspected of being an informant. Mr. Paradkar was granted bail last month. Andrew Clark, described by U.S. authorities as the organisation’s alleged second‑in‑command, was arrested in Mexico in 2024 and is in U.S. custody in California. Another co‑accused, Rasheed Pascua Hossain, was granted bail in B.C. last month.

U.S. and Canadian authorities say Mr. Wedding remains at large and is believed to be hiding in Mexico, despite a US$15‑million reward and an ongoing multinational manhunt.

The bail hearing is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, as Justice Bawden considers the strength of the U.S. material, the proposed supervision plan and risks to the public and proposed sureties. Extradition proceedings will follow any resolution of bail.

None of the U.S. allegations have been proven in court. The judge’s remarks and the seized communications will factor into the next stage of hearings as Canadian and U.S. authorities pursue their respective investigations.