An Ontario attorney with reported ties to a Canadian Olympian-turned-alleged cocaine kingpin says if he’s released on bail, he will follow the “most stringent” plan he’s ever proposed in his career.
Deepak Paradkar was in a downtown Toronto courtroom Wednesday for a bail hearing after he was arrested and charged last month for his reported involvement with Ryan Wedding.
Wedding, 44, is facing several murder and drug charges stemming from his alleged drug empire that stretches across the Americas. FBI Director Kash Patel has described Wedding as a “modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar.”
The 62-year-old Paradkar was seen waving to his wife, family and supporters while inside the witness box Wednesday afternoon. He wore glasses, a blue blazer, a white dress shirt, and was sporting a beard with a grey moustache.
Paradkar, who was arrested in Canada under the Extradition Act, is accused by American authorities of advising Wedding to murder a key witness so that Wedding and Andrew Clark, his reported second-in-command, would avoid extradition from Mexico on 2024 criminal charges against them.
Paradkar, who American authorities said went by several aliases, including the “cocaine lawyer,” is also accused of providing Wedding with court documents and evidence from the criminal case he would not otherwise have had access to.
That witness was eventually shot dead at a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, on Jan. 31.
The allegations against Paradkar have not been tested in court. Paradkar, whose licence to practice law in Ontario was suspended last week, has denied the allegations against him and maintains his innocence.
In court Wednesday, Crown attorneys told Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden that Paradkar’s detention pending his extradition is necessary because of flight risk, the need to protect the public and desire to maintain confidence in the justice system.
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Paradkar told Bawden he is not a flight risk, saying he has no ties to his native India, which he said he hasn’t visited since 1997. Paradkar explained how his family immigrated to Canada in 1971, and how eventually he became a criminal defence lawyer after graduating with a master’s in medical science in the late 1980s.
He also detailed his proposed plan of release, which he said includes a $5-million pledge between himself and his wife, 24/7 house arrest without leaving home unless accompanied by one of his sureties, and no access to electronic devices except for his wife’s cellphone, which he would only use in her presence for communication with his lawyers and sureties. His wife’s cousin is also proposing to put up $250,000 towards Paradkar’s release.
He also said he is proposing to be under GPS monitoring and would surrender his passport to police within 48 hours of his release. Paradkar’s wife and her cousin are the two proposed sureties.
Paradkar added that since his arrest, he has been subject to “very terrible conditions” at Toronto South Detention Centre and Toronto East Detention Centre, and has had issues obtaining medication. He said he has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and underwent a quadruple bypass in 2018.
“I’ve been involved in extradition cases. I know it’s a long haul,” he said.
“I know there are defences available, and I know there’s a fight to be had. I believe in the justice system and I’m committed to seeing it through.”
The hearing continues.
Meanwhile, a US$15-million bounty has been issued by the U.S. State Department for information that leads to Wedding’s arrest or conviction.
The FBI has said Wedding, who is reportedly living in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa Cartel, may be changing his appearance and hair colour to avoid capture. Investigators released a new photo of him Tuesday to generate leads.
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