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 decision, Rolan Sokolovski’s attorney maintains that his client is innocent until proven guilty and plans to challenge the charges against him.
According to lawyer Scott K. Fenton, Sokolovski appeared in a Toronto court and consented to early extradition, which was originally scheduled for December. Fenton emphasized that agreeing to extradition does not imply guilt or an admission of the case’s strength.
U.S. prosecutors claim Sokolovski acted as a financial hub for Wedding by handling drug funds and obtaining luxury items for the fugitive, including a rare $13 million Mercedes CLK-GTR Roadster. Sokolovski, a 38-year-old Lithuanian-born individual, was arrested in Toronto in November as part of a joint FBI and RCMP operation targeting Wedding’s network.
Court documents allege that Sokolovski, known by the aliases Sushi and Applepie, used cryptocurrency platforms and his business, Diamond Tsar, in the Toronto area to launder money for Wedding’s criminal activities. Facing charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering, Sokolovski awaits trial in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
Furthermore, Sokolovski is accused of creating a jewelled necklace for Atna Ohna, a Montreal-based alleged hitman linked to Wedding’s network, as a reward for his alleged role in the murder of an FBI witness. Fenton reiterated that Sokolovski maintains his innocence and intends to challenge the allegations in California courts.
The final decision to surrender Sokolovski to U.S. authorities rests with the federal justice minister. Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, was apprehended in Mexico and transferred to California. The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted multiple individuals associated with Wedding’s drug ring, which operated across North America and was involved in numerous criminal activities.
Sokolovski is the first of the three men arrested in Ontario to consent to extradition in connection with “Operation Giant Slalom.” Gursewak Singh Bal, a Canadian crime blogger, is set for an extradition hearing in December. Singh Bal, who operated the Dirty News website, is accused of orchestrating the murder of an FBI witness in Colombia.
Deepak Paradkar, a prominent criminal lawyer implicated in Wedding’s network, is contesting his extradition. Paradkar faces allegations of accepting illicit payments and gifts while serving as a key figure in Wedding’s operation. Wedding is slated to undergo two separate trials later this year, as per L.A. prosecutors, for indictments filed in 2024 and 2025 during his time as a fugitive.
The first trial is scheduled to commence on October 27.