A Toronto-area criminal defence lawyer accused of playing a key role in the violent drug-trafficking network led by fugitive Ryan Wedding could be killed if granted bail, an Ontario court has been told.
Deepak Paradkar, 62, appeared in a downtown Toronto courtroom for the third day of his bail hearing as he fights extradition to the United States, where he faces allegations of conspiring with Wedding — one of the FBI’s 10 most-wanted fugitives — and his cartel-linked organization. A lawyer for the Department of Justice Canada warned the court that Paradkar is “not safe out there” and remains a major liability to the criminal network as long as he is alive and facing trial.
Prosecutors allege Wedding’s organization, which has been linked to dozens of murders, would be highly motivated to silence Paradkar to prevent him from testifying in California. The court was told that releasing him would also endanger his family and anyone connected to him.
U.S. authorities accuse Paradkar of abusing his position as a lawyer to gather intelligence, facilitate cocaine smuggling routes between Los Angeles and Canada, and advise Wedding to have an FBI informant killed. That informant, Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, was later shot dead in Colombia after Wedding allegedly placed a multimillion-dollar bounty on his head.
According to a U.S. indictment unsealed last month, Paradkar was allegedly paid with luxury watches and cash and used aliases including “cocaine lawyer.” If convicted, he faces a mandatory life sentence on charges that include conspiracy to commit murder and retaliation against a witness. His law licence was suspended last week, and he has denied all wrongdoing.
U.S. prosecutors have also argued Paradkar poses a significant flight risk and a danger to the community due to his alleged ties to a billion-dollar transnational drug organization. His defence lawyer dismissed those claims as unsubstantiated.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden noted that if bail were granted, Paradkar’s top concern would be survival. A decision on bail is expected on Dec. 23.