A jeweller from the Toronto area, accused of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars for Ryan Wedding’s alleged drug-smuggling operation, has agreed to be extradited to the United States to face trial. Despite this, Rolan Sokolovski’s attorney maintains that his client is innocent until proven guilty and will contest the charges lodged against him.
According to lawyer Scott K. Fenton, Sokolovski appeared in a Toronto court and consented to early extradition, which was scheduled for a later date in December. Fenton emphasized that agreeing to extradition does not imply guilt or an admission of the case’s strength against Sokolovski.
U.S. prosecutors claim that Sokolovski acted as a financial hub for Wedding by transferring drug proceeds and acquiring high-end items for the fugitive, including a rare $13 million Mercedes CLK-GTR Roadster. Sokolovski, a 38-year-old Lithuanian national, was apprehended in Toronto in November as part of a joint operation by the FBI and RCMP targeting Wedding’s criminal network.
Court documents allege that Sokolovski, known by the aliases Sushi and Applepie, used cryptocurrency platforms and his Diamond Tsar business in the Toronto area to launder money for Wedding’s illicit activities. He is facing charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
Additionally, Sokolovski is accused of crafting a jewelled necklace for Atna Ohna, a Montreal-based alleged hitman for Wedding, as a reward for his purported involvement in the murder of an FBI informant. Fenton stated that Sokolovski intends to challenge these allegations in California courts, emphasizing his presumption of innocence.
The final decision on Sokolovski’s extradition to U.S. authorities rests with the federal justice minister. Since 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice has indicted multiple individuals associated with Wedding’s drug ring, which is linked to large-scale drug trafficking and violence across North America.
Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, was arrested in Mexico and transferred to California. He currently remains in U.S. custody, with his exact location undisclosed in public prison records. Sokolovski is the first of three individuals arrested in Ontario to consent to extradition in connection with “Operation Giant Slalom,” which targeted Wedding’s criminal enterprise.
Gursewak Singh Bal, a Canadian crime blogger facing U.S. federal charges, is set for an extradition hearing in December. Singh Bal operated the Dirty News website, implicated in organizing a murder within Wedding’s network. Meanwhile, Deepak Paradkar, a prominent criminal lawyer accused of involvement in Wedding’s operation, is contesting extradition and has been released on bail following a failed bid to overturn it.
Wedding is slated for two separate trials later this year in Los Angeles, with the first trial scheduled to commence on October 27.