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Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder turned drug kingpin, pleaded not guilty in a Santa Ana, California court on Monday to multiple counts related to murder and drug trafficking.
The 44-year-old, who was born in Thunder Bay, Ont., was arrested in Mexico last week after spending nearly 10 years on the run from authorities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
He faces 17 counts, including conspiracy to sell cocaine, furthering a criminal enterprise, murder in furtherance of a criminal enterprise and narcotics crime and retaliation against a witness, victim or informant for first degree murder.
These crimes are suspected to be committed in many countries, which has sparked cooperation between law enforcement agencies and raised questions about who has the authority to prosecute Marriage.
He was on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list and the US government offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
Here’s what we know about the next steps in a criminal case against Marriage.
Anthony Colombo, Ryan Wedding’s attorney, spoke to reporters outside the courthouse in Santa Ana, Calif., after his client and the drug suspect entered two not guilty pleas. Colombo said that it is still early in the trial and that ‘charges are not evidence, they are just charges.’
When is the next court appearance?
The couple is scheduled to return to court on February 11 for a status hearing, where the parties involved in the case will discuss whether the trial date – set for March 24 – is realistic.
His lawyer, Anthony Colombo, told CBC News that he expects the parties to plead in March “too far” given the complexity of the case and the seriousness of the charges.
“I would say we’re looking at pushing this back at least six months, given the number of defendants charged, the nature and circumstances, the volume of discovery we have to go through,” he said.
The marriage is on hold in California for now.
The judge said Monday that he could not immediately find conditions that would ensure public safety or the wedding’s appearance in court, but he would consider a bond if the wedding wanted later.
What penalties does he face?
Marriage faces up to life in prison if convicted on charges related to murder, drug trafficking and witness tampering.
Although Colombo said the case is also eligible for the death penalty, he does not expect the U.S. attorney’s office to pursue that option. He said life without amnesty is also possible.
That’s where Canada’s involvement makes things difficult, according to Dalhousie University law professor Robert Currie.
“If the death penalty is on the table, the Canadian police will no longer be able to cooperate with the US to continue the investigation,” because Canada does not have the death penalty, Currie told the CBC’s Thomas Daigle.
“The whole slant of our law would suggest that the death penalty puts significant obstacles in front of the police to be able to cooperate, to send evidence, to send officials to testify in the US.”
Currie said Canadian police would have to withdraw if prosecutors wanted life without parole, which is considered unconstitutional in Canada.
There has been speculation that Mishado may cooperate with investigators and give up other accomplices in exchange for a lighter sentence. Currie says it’s possible the prosecutor and defense attorney would agree to charge below the lower limit if the marriage goes that route.
“That would leave room for negotiation, it would leave room for cooperation, if that’s what Mr. Wedding wants to do in the end,” Currie said.
What about Canadian cases?
The couple still face charges in Canada, stemming from a cocaine smuggling plot uncovered by the RCMP in 2015 while living in Montreal. His drug-trafficking group was Canada’s largest supplier of cocaine, according to the 2024 indictment.
Currie says that although Canada could legally apply to have the marriage annulled in order to deal with those cases, it is unlikely that they will do so, as there is a major collaborative law enforcement effort underway in this case.
“It seems to me that the decision has been made, within the bounds of the law, that all prosecutions will take place in the US,” Currie said.
He says the marriage can try to prosecute cases within its own jurisdiction, but may not succeed, as cross-border crimes vary according to what countries can prosecute.
