Killing of key witness in fugitive ex-Olympian case undermines prosecution: co-accused's lawyer

Thomas Daigle · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 2:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 13 minutes ago

The defence lawyer for an alleged accomplice of Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding has formed uncertainty connected the viability of the lawsuit against his lawsuit aft the reported assassination of a cardinal witness.

Former trucker Gurpreet Singh — accused of helping to co-ordinate cocaine shipments from California to Canada connected behalf of Wedding's alleged transgression ringing — appeared for a bail proceeding successful a downtown Toronto tribunal Friday. He faces extradition to the U.S., wherever prosecutors privation him to basal proceedings connected drug-related charges.

Wedding, who competed for Canada arsenic a snowboarder astatine the 2002 Olympic Games successful Utah, was named past week 1 of the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives. Authorities are offering a $10-million US reward for accusation starring to his arrest.

In tribunal connected Friday, defence lawyer Peter Thorning raised the imaginable that U.S. authorities' lawsuit against Singh could beryllium "undermined" present that the FBI's main witnesser successful the probe volition nary longer beryllium testifying. He said Canadian authorities person not provided a crushed for the alteration of plans.

The witness, a erstwhile cause trafficker-turned-informant, was archetypal identified by the Toronto Star arsenic Canadian-Colombian Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia. A longtime subordinate of Wedding, tribunal records suggest the 2 archetypal met erstwhile they were some incarcerated successful Texas much than a decennary ago.

According to Colombian media reports, Acebedo-Garcia was gunned down successful a Medellin edifice successful January earlier helium could attest successful the sprawling FBI lawsuit against Wedding and his associates.

According to a summary of U.S. grounds filed successful Ontario Superior Court, the witnesser met with Singh and his uncle and co-accused, Hardeep Ratte, astatine a Toronto-area car assemblage store arsenic portion of the FBI's investigation. At the gathering — which prosecutors said was recorded — Singh and Ratte allegedly agreed to transport bulk quantities of cocaine connected behalf of Wedding's network. 

WATCH: Ryan Wedding's way from Olympian to most-wanted fugitive:

"This is simply a lawsuit involving a azygous eyewitness to the astir important portion of grounds successful this case, which is the meeting," Thorning told Superior Court Justice Michael Dineen.

U.S. prosecutors person warned against granting bail to Singh, 1 of Wedding's 4 co-defendants successful custody successful Ontario. They suggested successful a caller missive submitted to the Ontario tribunal that Singh, 31, poses a "substantial" formation risk, and that a caller kidnapping incidental suggests helium and his woman beryllium a indebtedness to Wedding.

"Wedding should not beryllium granted entree to an further loyalist done the merchandise of Singh connected bail," Los Angeles-based adjunct U.S. attorneys Maria Jhai and Lyndsi Allsop precocious wrote.

According to the prosecutors, Wedding took recognition for negotiating Singh's merchandise past summer, aft the Brampton, Ont.-born antheral was kidnapped by cartel members successful Sinaloa, Mexico, implicit a $600,000 cause debt. 

Singh's lawyer, Thorning said Friday helium would not remark connected each the "wild statements" earlier the court. But helium insisted Singh does not airs a formation hazard and should beryllium released connected bail.

"There's nary grounds of immoderate quality to flee," Thorning said.

Earlier successful the day, Singh testified from the witnesser box, speaking softly — sometimes making it hard to perceive from the nationalist assemblage — successful a grey blazer and navy turtleneck. He said he's made nary income since his dump motortruck concern went bankrupt successful 2021. 

Asked by national Crown counsel Kiran Gill astir respective lengthy stints overseas — including weeks oregon months astatine a clip spent successful the United Arab Emirates, Colombia and Mexico — Singh described them arsenic concern trips for his girlfriend, with each expenses covered by her.

"She was looking for much locations" for the Toronto brunch edifice she owns, Singh testified.

According to tribunal records, the FBI's cardinal witnesser besides flew to conscionable with Singh past twelvemonth successful Dubai. U.S. prosecutors allege Singh has "extensive organized transgression connections wrong Dubai, including relationships with members of the Kinahan gang, which is simply a well-known, convulsive organized transgression radical operating passim the world."

Singh is besides alleged to person been progressive successful a strategy to vessel stolen high-end cars to Dubai done the larboard of Montreal. 

Toronto constabulary arrested Singh successful October connected the 34th level of the five-star St. Regis Hotel. He told tribunal he'd been surviving determination with his woman and that she covered rent payments. The pistillate sat silently successful the courtroom for Singh's testimony. 

His bail proceeding continues Friday afternoon.