A federal prosecutor informed an Ontario court that Rolan Sokolovski played a significant role as the “third in command” in the alleged international criminal activities linked to fugitive Ryan Wedding. This marks the first time Sokolovski, a jeweler from Toronto who was arrested in November, has been identified as holding such a high-ranking position within the drug-trafficking operation.
During a court session in Toronto, Sokolovski’s legal representatives contended that he would not be a flight risk if granted bail. He is facing extradition to California on federal charges of conspiracy involving money laundering and trafficking cocaine. U.S. authorities had previously accused Sokolovski of being a key figure in money laundering and acting as a financial hub for Wedding’s criminal network, which purportedly generated $1 billion in annual revenues.
In a bail hearing on Wednesday, Department of Justice (DOJ) Canada attorney Heather Graham described the 37-year-old as the “right-hand man” for Wedding’s top associate, Andrew Clark, who was arrested in Mexico in 2024 and referred to as Wedding’s “second-in-command.”
Graham stated that Sokolovski was responsible for overseeing the financial transactions of the criminal enterprise, emphasizing his role as the main financial operator. Sokolovski is alleged to have facilitated the laundering of substantial amounts of money for the Wedding criminal network, including crafting a jewel-encrusted necklace for Atna Ohna, a Montreal-based individual believed to be an enforcer for Wedding’s group, in exchange for his involvement in the murder of an FBI informant.
The court documents include an October 2024 exchange of text messages between Clark and Sokolovski, as detailed in an affidavit by RCMP Cpl. Geneviève Laurin. The messages indicated that Sokolovski had control over the cryptocurrency wallets of multiple co-conspirators.
Sokolovski’s defense lawyer, Scott Fenton, highlighted in court that the allegations against his client remain unproven and denied the portrayal of Sokolovski as Wedding’s third-in-command, labeling it as a mere rhetorical assertion lacking evidential support. Fenton disputed the claims that his client would have access to significant financial resources if released on bail.
The decision on Sokolovski’s bail application is anticipated to be rendered on February 20. Sokolovski is among eight Canadians apprehended in November as part of an investigation targeting Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian snowboarder accused of leading a billion-dollar drug trafficking network.
Regarding concerns of flight risk, the U.S. Department of Justice alleged in a recent letter that Sokolovski possesses substantial assets, including cryptocurrency, and poses a risk of fleeing and endangering the public. The prosecution in Toronto interrogated Sokolovski on his financial holdings and the individuals proposed to supervise him if bail is granted, with their identities protected by a publication ban to ensure their safety.
Sokolovski’s defense team proposed that he reside with three of his sureties if released on bail, be subjected to house arrest with continuous GPS monitoring, stay in Ontario, surrender his passport, and refrain from communicating with his co-accused. Ryan Wedding, a former Olympian and the alleged mastermind behind the drug trafficking network, was listed on the FBI’s most-wanted roster last year.
Wedding’s operation is accused of smuggling large quantities of cocaine from Colombia to Canada through Mexico and the U.S. Additionally, Wedding and his associates are alleged to have orchestrated targeted assassinations against individuals perceived as threats to their criminal enterprise.
