A Calgary man accused of helping notorious Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding orchestrate the murder of an FBI informant appeared briefly in court on Friday, days after being arrested on a U.S. extradition warrant.
Allistair Chapman, 33, was one of 10 people arrested this week across North America as part of a major FBI-led operation targeting the “Wedding Criminal Enterprise,” an alleged billion-dollar drug trafficking network said to be the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada.
Wedding — a former Olympic snowboarder — has been on the run for a decade and is currently on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. He is believed to be living in Mexico. U.S. officials have now increased the reward for his arrest to $10 million.
Extradition Process Begins
Chapman appeared in a Calgary courtroom wearing a blue jumpsuit and shackles as his case was adjourned to December 5. A date for his formal extradition hearing has not yet been set.
Seven of the ten suspects arrested this week were living in Canada, and all face extradition to California to stand trial.
Allegations: Photo Used to Locate Murder Target
Chapman is charged in the U.S. with:
- Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
- Conspiracy to commit murder
- Conspiracy to retaliate against a witness
- Additional organized crime offences
According to the unsealed indictment, Chapman allegedly provided a photograph of an FBI informant (“Victim A”) to Gursewak Singh Bal, operator of The Dirty News crime blog. Bal was allegedly paid $10,000 to publish the image online so the witness could be located.
Three months later, the informant was shot five times in the head inside a Colombian restaurant.
Background on Chapman
Chapman, a former Alberta Junior Hockey League player, previously faced drug and weapons trafficking charges in 2018. At that time, police said he led a Calgary-based organized crime group involved in cross-border smuggling. Those charges were stayed in 2020 due to court delays.
Global Operation
The coordinated arrests were announced in Washington, D.C. by:
- FBI Director Kash Patel
- U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi
- RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme
Officials said the Wedding operation spans Mexico, Colombia, Canada, and the United States.