Former Canadian Olympic Snowboarder ‘Turned Drug Lord’ Wanted for Ontario Double Murder

A photo of former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, 43, who is a fugitive, is seen top left, with 15 other defendants who have been charged with allegedly running and participating in a transnational drug trafficking operation, is displayed on a video monitor at a news conference at the FBI offices in Los Angeles, Oct. 17, 2024. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File

A former Canadian Olympic snowboarder accused of heading a transnational drug trafficking operation is wanted in connection with a double homicide in Ontario last year, law enforcement officials say.

Ryan James Wedding, who represented Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and fellow Canadian Andrew Clark, are accused of orchestrating the murders of two family members in Caledon, Ont., last November “in retaliation” for a stolen drug shipment, the U.S. Department of Justice announced at an Oct. 17 press conference.

The men, who now live in Mexico, are two of 16 defendants identified in a superseding indictment that alleges the suspects are part of a transnational drug trafficking operation that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Canada.

United States Attorney Martin Estrada said the drugs were funnelled through Mexico and Southern California, into both the U.S. and Canada.

Ryan James Wedding FBI photo

Clark, 34, was arrested Oct. 8 by Mexican law enforcement, while Wedding remains at large. The 43-year-old, who is considered armed and dangerous, is currently wanted by the FBI.

“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,” Estrada said.

Wedding and Clark are also alleged to have ordered the murder of another victim in May due to an outstanding drug debt. Authorities didn’t say where the killing occurred. Charges have been brought against Clark and another individual, 23-year-old Canadian Malik Damion Cunningham, in connection with a murder that took place on April 1 in Mississauga.

Wedding, who was named as the lead defendant in the indictment, is also known as “El Jefe,” “Giant,” and “Public Enemy,” the district attorney’s office said in a press release. He is wanted on eight charges, including three counts of murder and one count of attempt to commit murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug crime. 

The FBI has issued a reward of US$50,000 for information that leads to his arrest. 

Clark, who is known as “The Dictator,” is facing the same charges plus an additional count of murder, the authorities said.

The indictment alleged that Wedding, Clark, and others conspired to ship bulk quantities of cocaine from Southern California to Canada through a Canada-based drug transportation network.

The Canadian network was alleged to have been run by two Ontario men from approximately January to August of this year. Hardeep Ratte, 45, and 30-year-old Gurpreet Singh have both been arrested in connection with the drug shipments.

The cocaine was transported from Mexico to Los Angeles where the organization’s operatives would store it in stash houses, the indictment alleged. The drugs were then reportedly delivered to couriers for transportation to Canada using long-haul semi-trucks.

“The organization resorted to violence—including multiple murders—to achieve its aims,” the indictment added.

Ontario Murders

While Wedding and Clark are alleged to have ordered the murders of a family in Caledon, Ontario investigators continue to search for the persons responsible for the double homicide, OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns said at the press conference in Los Angeles.

The triple shooting in Caledon left 28-year-old Jaspreet Kaur Sidhu with “life altering injuries” and killed her parents, Jagtar Singh Sidhu, 57, and Harbhajan Kaur Sidhu, 55.

“We want to stress that the Sidhu family were completely innocent,” Kearns said. “Investigation has determined that these three victims were mistakenly targeted and were not involved in the alleged trafficking organization.”

Caledon OPP teamed up with Peel Regional Police in November after determining the Caledon murders were connected to three residential shootings in Brampton, and a homicide in Mississauga. The investigation, known as Project Midnight, is ongoing.

Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said one of the charges announced at the press conference is connected to the May 18 murder of 39-year-old Mohammed Zafar who was “fatally shot in his driveway.”

“These tragic cases reflect the violence tied to transnational and organized crime and the trafficking of illicit drugs and the firearms that are used to affect that business,” Milinovich said at the press conference.

“These investigative outcomes are important for the families who have endured tragic loss, casualties of criminal greed and a drug trafficking war.”

Police are urging anyone with information about the shootings to either contact them or call Crime Stoppers.