Judge denies bail for Calgary man facing extradition to U.S. in Ryan Wedding case

A judge has denied bail for a Calgary man arrested on extradition warrants connected to accused Canadian drug kingpin Ryan Wedding.

Allistair Chapman, 33, and nine others were arrested last year in an FBI investigation into a billion dollar international drug trafficking organization allegedly run by Wedding in Mexico, Colombia, Canada and the United States.

Chapman is accused of cocaine trafficking and helping Wedding, a former Team Canada Olympic snowboarder turned fugitive, set up the killing of an FBI informant.

U.S. prosecutors allege Chapman helped arrange the killing by providing the man’s photo to a co-accused and paying for it to be posted online.

The informant was later shot dead at a restaurant in Colombia.

1:26 Bail decision looms for Allistair Chapman, facing extradition in Ryan Wedding case

Court of King’s Bench Justice Paul Jeffrey says U.S. prosecutors have a strong case against Chapman and releasing him on bail would undermine public confidence in the justice system.

“While he did not pull the trigger, he knew the purpose of the work he was assigned was the murder,” the judge said in a written decision Friday.

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“The killing of a prosecution witness circumvents the rule of law and impairs the criminal justice system’s ability to protect society.”

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The judge said if Chapman is extradited and convicted, he faces life in a U.S. prison.

Chapman’s lawyer had asked he be released on a $500,000 surety guaranteed by his parents and he be allowed to live with them under a curfew pending an extradition hearing.

The Crown described Chapman as a “loyal soldier” to the criminal organization and a flight risk.

“Chapman has failed to satisfy me on balance that his detention is not necessary,” said Jeffrey.

Wedding was arrested last month in Mexico and transferred to California. He had been on the FBI’s Top 10 most-wanted list.

Chapman is set to appear in Calgary court again Mar. 13.