The FBI alleges that Deepak Paradkar, shown in 2017, took part in murder conspiracy, drug trafficking and conspiracy to tamper with a witness. His lawyer has said his client will defend himself against the charges.Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press
An Ontario Superior Court judge has granted bail to a Toronto-area criminal lawyer facing U.S. extradition on charges that he helped plot the murder of a government witness against an alleged Canadian cocaine-trafficking organization.
Deepak Paradkar, 62, who once used the social-media handle “Cocaine lawyer,” was among eight Canadians arrested last month as part of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s sprawling probe into former Olympic snowboarder turned fugitive Ryan Wedding.
The FBI, backed by the RCMP, alleges that Mr. Paradkar committed murder conspiracy, drug trafficking and conspiracy to tamper with a witness, according to an indictment that was unsealed last month in Los Angeles.
Justice Peter Bawden said Tuesday that his decision to grant bail is not a reflection of the overall case. He said the case for extradition is strong, noting that Mr. Paradkar is alleged to have been living a double life by working as a “senior operative within a violent transnational drug trafficking organization.”
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However, the judge also ruled that Mr. Paradkar’s life could be in jeopardy if he continues to be held in jail.
The lawyer has diabetes and cardiac conditions, the judge said, and he could be at further risk owing to the Wedding organization’s reputation for allegedly unleashing violence against suspected members who get caught.
“The troubling reality is that these individuals are more likely to kill Mr. Paradkar to prevent him from becoming a co-operating witness than to protect him in exchange for silence. The most compelling reason to believe Mr. Paradkar will attend court and comply with house arrest bail terms is that it may be the only way to stay alive,” Justice Bawden ruled.
Authorities say Mr. Wedding is hiding in Mexico, sheltered by the Sinaloa Cartel, and the U.S. Department of Justice has promised a US$15-million reward for information leading to his capture. American officials allege that Mr. Wedding has ordered “dozens” of killings around the world, including some fatal shootings in Canada and others targeting “innocent family members” of his perceived enemies.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
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Mr. Paradkar’s lawyer, Ravin Pillay, has said that his client intends to defend himself against the charges. Mr. Paradkar was arrested at his home north of Toronto on Nov. 18.
Mr. Paradkar proposed a bail plan at a hearing earlier this month. The lawyer had asked the court that he be released under conditions similar to 24-hour house arrest and said he would post a $2.5-million bail and that his wife would post an additional $2.5-million.
In court Tuesday, Justice Bawden approved Mr. Paradkar’s $5-million bail-release plan, which involves supervision by his wife, surrender of his passport and no use of electronic devices. Justice Bawden emphasized that the criminal lawyer would risk everything – including future contact with his family – if he flees.
“I find it is very unlikely that Mr. Paradkar would go underground,” he said.
“In the unlikely event that he did successfully flee, he would spend the rest of his life as a fugitive from justice, separated from his wife and unable to play any part in the lives of his two daughters,” the judge said.
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He added that, under Canadian criminal law, the continued detention of an individual facing charges is the exception, not the rule.
Crown lawyers from Canada’s Justice Department had urged the judge to deny bail for Mr. Paradkar, by describing him as a dangerous man and a flight risk.
Crown attorney Heather Graham told the Toronto court that Mr. Paradkar’s bail arguments were undercut by his penchant for Rolex watches, Gucci bags and Maserati cars. She said his net worth is incalculable, pointing to the allegations levelled by the FBI that Mr. Wedding’s gang paid him in “bulk cash drops” and luxury watches.
Mr. Paradkar is accused in Los Angeles of advising Mr. Wedding to kill a confidential witness for the FBI who was expected to testify against Mr. Wedding. The witness, who is identified in court documents filed in Canada as Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, was killed with five shots to the head in a restaurant in Colombia early this year.
Mr. Paradkar has told the court he anticipates a lengthy extradition battle.
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Mr. Wedding became the focus of a two-year-long probe by the FBI and RCMP in July, 2023. Since then, around 30 individuals allegedly connected to him – most of them Canadians – have been arrested or are being sought under U.S. laws.
The U.S. allegations are of “the utmost gravity,” ruled Justice Bawden. “The suggestion that a lawyer would advocate the killing of a witness is beyond the pale. It represents one of the most serious allegations imaginable.”
However, the bail judge added there are questions about what U.S. authorities have shared so far about their evidence against Mr. Paradkar, which comes from an unnamed FBI informant and a phone seized from an alleged Wedding operative.
In his ruling, Justice Bawden cast doubt over the FBI’s contention that Mr. Wedding relied on Mr. Paradkar’s alleged advice that killing a witness set to testify against Mr. Wedding would collapse the case. “This account seems improbable,” Justice Bawden said.
Upon granting bail, the judge addressed Mr. Paradkar directly. He said that Mr. Paradkar had only “narrowly” convinced him that bail was the best decision in these “extraordinary” circumstances, and he added: “Prove me right.”
“I will, Your Honour,” Mr. Paradkar replied.