A jewelry dealer 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 for trial. Rolan Sokolovski, the accused, appeared in a court in downtown Toronto and consented to early extradition, according to his lawyer, Scott K. Fenton. Fenton emphasized that Sokolovski’s agreement to extradition does not imply guilt or an acknowledgment of the strength of the case against him.
The U.S. prosecutors claim that Sokolovski acted as a financial institution for Wedding, facilitating the movement of drug proceeds and acquiring luxury items for Wedding, such as a rare $13 million Mercedes CLK-GTR Roadster. Sokolovski, a 38-year-old Lithuanian native, was apprehended in Toronto last November as part of a joint operation by the FBI and RCMP targeting Wedding’s network. He is alleged to have used cryptocurrency platforms and his business, Diamond Tsar, in the Toronto area to launder money for Wedding’s criminal enterprise.
Sokolovski faces charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Additionally, he is accused of creating a bejeweled necklace for Atna Ohna, an alleged hitman associated with Wedding’s network, as a reward for his involvement in the murder of an FBI informant. Fenton reiterated that Sokolovski maintains his innocence and intends to challenge the allegations in the California courts.
The final decision on surrendering Sokolovski to U.S. authorities rests with the federal justice minister. The case is part of a larger investigation into Wedding’s drug ring, which has led to the indictment of over 34 individuals since 2024. Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder for Team Canada, was apprehended in Mexico and transferred to California earlier this year. He is currently in U.S. custody.
Sokolovski is the first of the men arrested in Operation Giant Slalom in Ontario to consent to extradition. Gursewak Singh Bal, a Canadian crime blogger also implicated in the conspiracy, is scheduled for an extradition hearing in December. Bal allegedly operated a website that facilitated the murder of an FBI witness. Deepak Paradkar, another key figure in Wedding’s network, is contesting extradition and has been fighting against it. Wedding is expected to face trial later this year for multiple indictments filed during his fugitive status.