Ryan Wedding case: Among the seven Canadians apprehended during a crackdown on drug lord Ryan Wedding, US authorities identified self-proclaimed ‘Cocaine Lawyer’ Deepak Balwant Paradkar as a close associate of Wedding, who according to them, advised him to eliminate a witness.
Paradkar, 62, was apprehended late Tuesday on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, linked to the criminal activities of Olympic snowboarder-turned-gangster Wedding, law enforcement sources told The Sun.
On Wednesday, a joint news conference was held in Washington at the headquarters of the US Department of Justice, featuring announcements from US Attorney Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and RCMP Commissioner Mike Duhem in connection with Wedding case.
Who is Deepak Balwant Paradkar?
In a press release, the US Department of the Treasury said that Paradkar is a Canadian lawyer who has offered various illicit services to Wedding and his drug trafficking organization, exceeding the boundaries of a typical attorney-client relationship.
Paradkar facilitated Wedding's connections with the drug traffickers responsible for distributing Wedding's cocaine and has also assisted Wedding in matters of bribery and murder, the release stated.
{{/usCountry}}Paradkar facilitated Wedding's connections with the drug traffickers responsible for distributing Wedding's cocaine and has also assisted Wedding in matters of bribery and murder, the release stated.
{{/usCountry}}“Paradkar violated the trust of his clients and the ethics of his profession by allowing Wedding and his associates to eavesdrop on privileged communications between Paradkar and his other clients, several of whom Wedding wished to murder. Wedding paid Paradkar with luxury watches and additional fees for these illegal services.”
‘If you kill this witness…’ Paradkar advised Wedding to kill witness
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Bill Essayli, the first Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, stated, “(Wedding’s lawyer, Paradkar) advised him to kill this witness.” “‘If you kill this witness, the case will be dismissed.'”
Authorities said that Paradkar denied to leave his residence when law enforcement officials arrived.
In total, seven Canadians have been arrested, with an eighth individual still at large. Arrests occurred in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta, Toronto Sun reported.
Deepak Paradkar appears for court hearing
Paradkar made his initial appearance at the University Avenue court in Toronto on Wednesday morning as the United States pursues his extradition, as per Toronto Sun. He faces charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and drug trafficking.
Ryan Wedding: One of the FBI’s most wanted
Ryan “The Snowboarder” Wedding, along with his criminal organization, has left a trail of bodies across three countries, including at least four murders in Canada alone, as per the officials. He is currently listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, with a reward for his capture now raised to $15 million.
He has been labeled a “narco-terrorist” and is considered the largest drug trafficker in Canada. It is believed that he is hiding in Mexico, receiving protection from the Sinaloa Cartel. However, locating him has proven to be quite challenging.