A FORMER Olympian has been added to the FBI’s 10 most wanted list over allegations that he ran a drug empire and orchestrated murders.
Ryan Wedding, who starred at the 2002 Winter Olympics, has been charged with a string of murder and drug crimes.
AFPRyan Wedding has been accused of running a drug empire and orchestrating murders[/caption]
AFPWedding is a former Olympian[/caption]
The 43-year-old has been accused of running a drugs trafficking network that sent hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia into Canada and other locations within the US, as per the Department of Justice.
The drugs were shipped through Mexico and southern California.
“Wedding went from shredding powder on the slopes at the Olympics to distributing powder cocaine on the streets of U.S. cities and in his native Canada,” Akil Davis, the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office said.
He’s accused of shipping five metric tons of fentanyl per month, as reported by CBC.
FBI agents have branded Wedding as a “very dangerous man.”
Wedding has several nicknames, including El Jefe, Giant, and Jesse King.
And, cops have issued a $10 million reward.
Police do not know where Wedding is.
Cops have revealed it’s possible he could be in the US, Canada, Colombia, or Costa Rica.
They suggested that he might not be in any of the locations and could be elsewhere.
Canadian police first launched a manhunt for Wedding’s arrest in 2015.
In June last year, he was charged with running a criminal enterprise and a slew of drug crimes.
Wedding was charged with conspiring to possess, distribute and export cocaine.
His accomplice Andrew Clark, 34, was arrested in October by Mexican cops.
Cops have claimed Wedding and Clark directed the murder of two people in Ontario, Canada, in November 2023.
They claimed it was linked to a shipment of drugs that was apparently stolen.
A third person was injured in the shooting but were left with serious injuries.
FBI agents have claimed Wedding and Clark ordered one person to be killed in May 2024 over a drug debt.
If convicted, Wedding faces life behind bars.
Wedding could get up to 20 years in prison if he’s convicted on murder and attempted murder charges.
He could get between 10-15 years in prison if convicted of his alleged drug trafficking offenses.
Wedding was part of the Canadian team that competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He was a snowboarder and finished in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom competition.
GettyWedding competing at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
