In a Toronto courtroom, the financial records of a man from Ontario accused of laundering money for an international drug trafficking operation were closely examined on Monday as he sought release prior to his extradition hearing. Rolan Sokolovski faced questioning from prosecutors regarding his tax filings, the financial records of his jewelry business, Diamond Tsar, and his income from poker games, which he claimed had sustained his lifestyle for nearly a decade.
As a dual citizen of Lithuania and Canada, Sokolovski disclosed that he had earned over $100,000 annually from participating in poker events and cash games from 2013 to 2020. Additionally, he mentioned his involvement in cryptocurrency trading for about seven years, with profits reaching up to US$200,000 in certain transactions. Sokolovski admitted that none of these earnings had been reported to the Canada Revenue Agency, believing that gambling proceeds were not taxable. He equated trading cryptocurrency to gambling in his perspective.
The arrest of Sokolovski last autumn, alongside several other Canadians, was linked to allegations of collaborating with former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, a suspected drug lord on the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list. U.S. authorities accused Sokolovski, aged 37, of managing the organization’s finances, purchasing luxury items for Wedding, and creating a valuable necklace as compensation for a crime.
The court is scheduled to hear from individuals willing to supervise Sokolovski if he is granted bail. Justice Peter Bawden of the Ontario Superior Court ruled on Monday to safeguard the anonymity of potential sureties to mitigate the risk of physical harm or danger to them.
Sokolovski’s legal team had previously urged the court to shield the identities of the sureties, emphasizing potential safety concerns. Conversely, Crown prosecutors contended that only the addresses of the sureties should be withheld from the public. Multiple days have been allocated for the bail hearing, with the prosecution opposing Sokolovski’s release on grounds of protecting public safety, upholding faith in the legal system, and preventing any flight risk.
