Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding's lieutenant to plead not guilty to murder, drug charges: lawyer

Thomas Daigle · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 11, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

The alleged transgression brag known arsenic "The Dictator" — accused of orchestrating the 2023 fatal shooting of an guiltless couple in Caledon, Ont. — volition plead not guilty, his lawyer told CBC News.

Andrew Clark is described by U.S. investigators arsenic the "co-leader" of a transnational drug-smuggling empire, alongside erstwhile Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. Wedding was precocious added to the FBI's database of 10 most-wanted fugitives, with a $10-million US reward offered for accusation starring to his arrest.

Clark, 34, was transferred to U.S. custody last period successful an unprecedented Mexican extradition cognition targeting cartel-linked figures. Heavily equipped troops successful pickup trucks descended connected a buying promenade edifice successful the Guadalajara country for Clark's apprehension successful October, according to societal media video verified by CBC News.

Clark, who antecedently lived successful the Toronto area, made his archetypal quality successful U.S. national tribunal successful Phoenix past week. He is scheduled to beryllium transported to Los Angeles to basal proceedings connected 8 felony charges related to an alleged cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and 4 killings.

All 4 killings, including those of the mates successful Caledon, occurred successful Ontario but are being prosecuted successful the United States since they were carried retired successful enactment of a transgression strategy with roots successful California.

"This volition beryllium a not blameworthy plea," Clark's L.A.-based lawyer, Matthew Lombard, said successful an email.

Property records and online posts suggest Clark sold his location successful Burlington, Ont., and relocated to Mexico successful 2022. In a photograph distributed by U.S. prosecutors, he is seen wearing a City of Toronto lanyard. A municipal spokesperson declined to accidental whether Clark antecedently worked for the city.

Authorities person said Wedding and Clark's alleged $1-billion US web — linked to Mexico's notorious Sinaloa cartel — utilized stash houses successful California to assistance determination tons of cocaine and fentanyl passim North America.

Details of the sprawling FBI investigation, outlined successful tribunal records, work similar a Hollywood script.

U.S. national agents accompanied a erstwhile cause trafficker to Toronto, wherever helium wore a signaling instrumentality to conscionable with suspected co-conspirators astatine an car assemblage shop. In California, investigators enlisted the National Guard to surveil a cocaine woody from an airship.

The RCMP said Wedding, 43, "continues to airs 1 of the largest organized transgression threats to Canada, adjacent arsenic a fugitive."

Investigators said Wedding and Clark orchestrated the November 2023 killings of Jagtar and Harbhajan Sidhu, an Indian mates visiting their children successful Caledon, northwest of Toronto. Their 28-year-old daughter, Jaspreet Kaur Sidhu, witnessed the rampage and was changeable 13 times. She survived but suffered "life-altering injuries," constabulary said.

Authorities said the guiltless household was mistakenly targeted implicit a stolen cause shipment. The gunman has not been identified.

In tribunal documents, U.S. prosecutors allege Clark aboriginal sent a Toronto-based hitman known arsenic "Mr. Perfect" a database of targets and arranged for him to be "military training" successful Mexico past year. Afterward, the alleged gunman, Malik Damion Cunningham, purportedly wrote to Clark: "I americium what you telephone present ELITE acknowledgment to you brother."

Days aboriginal successful a Niagara Falls, Ont., driveway, Cunningham allegedly fired a azygous changeable to the caput of a reputed cross-border cause trafficker for $100,000, "plus expenses." Encrypted communications suggest Clark supplied the shooter with 2 Glock handguns and a 2023 Ford Explorer arsenic a getaway vehicle, according to tribunal documents.

A cardinal FBI informant met with Wedding and Clark successful a Mexico City Starbucks successful January 2024, arsenic portion of the investigation. According to tribunal documents, the antheral wore a ligament and recorded Clark explaining helium sends 2 to 3 tonnes of cocaine to Canada per month, including 600 kilograms to Alberta.

Wedding, Clark and 14 different alleged accomplices were indicted by a national expansive assemblage successful California past year. Four co-defendants, including Cunningham, stay successful custody successful Ontario and look extradition to the U.S.

Another alleged accomplice, Gurpreet Singh, is scheduled to look successful a downtown Toronto tribunal connected Thursday arsenic helium asks to beryllium released connected bail, pending extradition. U.S. prosecutors person urged against Singh's release, saying helium poses a "substantial" formation risk.

"Investigators are alert that Wedding continues to postulation drugs portion successful hiding," adjunct U.S. attorneys Maria Jhai and Lyndsi Allsop wrote in a missive dated Feb. 21 and filed arsenic an grounds successful the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. "Wedding should not beryllium granted entree to an further loyalist done the merchandise of Singh connected bail."

The prosecutors allege Wedding had to intervene to unafraid Singh's merchandise past summer, aft helium was kidnapped by cartel members successful Mexico over a $600,000 cause debt.

If you person a quality extremity related to this story, interaction CBC News elder newsman Thomas Daigle by email: [email protected].