Bail hearing continues for Ontario man accused in Ryan Wedding case

A Toronto court is hearing from one of the people who signed on to supervise a man accused of laundering funds for an international drug ring if he is released on bail.

The woman, whose identity is covered by a publication ban, is taking the stand as Rolan Sokolovski’s bail hearing enters its second day.

Sokolovski is one of several Canadians arrested for extradition to the United States last fall as part of an investigation into Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympian alleged to be at the top of a violent criminal organization.

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Prosecutors allege Sokolovski played a key role in the organization and was responsible for laundering hundreds of millions of dollars in assets including cryptocurrency and luxury goods

Crown attorneys delved into his finances as he testified on Monday, pressing him on his tax reports and the financial statements of his jewelry business, Diamond Tsar, as well as the money he earned playing poker.

Also on Monday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden ruled to prohibit the publication of any information that could identify Sokolovski’s proposed sureties, including their relationship to him, in order to protect their safety.

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Man accused in Ryan Wedding case seeks to protect IDs of sureties, citing safety risk