A jeweler from the Toronto area, accused of laundering large sums of money for Ryan Wedding’s alleged drug-smuggling operation, has agreed to be extradited to the United States for trial. Despite this decision, Rolan Sokolovski’s legal representative maintains his innocence and plans to challenge the charges brought against him.
Lawyer Scott K. Fenton confirmed via email to CBC News that Sokolovski appeared in a Toronto court earlier than scheduled and consented to the extradition process. Fenton emphasized that agreeing to extradition does not imply guilt or an admission of the strength of the case against Sokolovski.
Sokolovski, a 38-year-old Lithuanian native, was apprehended in Toronto last November as part of a joint operation by the FBI and RCMP targeting Wedding’s network. He is alleged to have acted as Wedding’s financial hub, facilitating the transfer of illicit funds and acquiring luxury items for Wedding, including a rare $13 million Mercedes CLK-GTR Roadster.
Court documents reveal that Sokolovski, known by the aliases Sushi and Applepie, is accused of utilizing cryptocurrency platforms and his business, Diamond Tsar, in the Toronto area to launder money for Wedding’s criminal enterprise. He is facing conspiracy charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
Furthermore, Sokolovski is accused of creating a jeweled necklace for Atna Ohna, an alleged hitman based in Montreal associated with Wedding’s network, as a reward for his purported involvement in the murder of an FBI informant.
Fenton reiterated that Sokolovski is presumed innocent and intends to challenge the allegations in the courts of California. The final decision to extradite Sokolovski to U.S. authorities rests with the federal justice minister.
The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted over 30 individuals linked to Wedding’s drug ring since 2024. Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder for Team Canada, was apprehended in Mexico and transferred to California earlier this year. He remains in U.S. custody, with his current location undisclosed in public prison records.
Among those arrested in Ontario last year in connection with “Operation Giant Slalom,” Sokolovski is the first to agree to extradition. Another individual, Gursewak Singh Bal, a Canadian crime blogger facing federal charges in the U.S., is scheduled for an extradition hearing in December.
Singh Bal was allegedly involved in setting up the murder of an FBI witness through his website, Dirty News. Deepak Paradkar, a prominent criminal attorney implicated in Wedding’s network, is contesting extradition. Paradkar has refuted the allegations against him, and his bid to overturn his bail release was rejected by Ontario’s highest court.
Wedding is slated to face trial for multiple indictments filed in 2024 and 2025, marking the beginning of legal proceedings against him after being a fugitive for some time. The first trial is scheduled to commence on October 27.
