Ryan Wedding, the former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, faced a US federal judge on Monday and pleaded not guilty to a series of serious criminal charges.
The 44-year-old stands accused of 17 felonies, including running a large-scale drug operation, witness tampering, and conspiracy to commit murder. This marked his first court appearance following his arrest in Mexico last week.
Appearing calm and composed, Wedding smiled at his attorney and occasionally at media and FBI officials as he stretched his arms, which were not shackled.
Dressed in a tan prison jumpsuit layered over an orange shirt, he told Judge John Early that he had read the two indictments and understood his rights.
His lawyer, Anthony Colombo, did not request bail during this hearing, but indicated that they may make a request in the future.
Authorities allege Wedding led a transnational cocaine network, smuggling millions of dollars’ worth of the drug into Los Angeles before distributing it across the United States and Canada. He is also accused of planning the murder of a man who intended to testify against him. US officials have claimed that Wedding was living in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
Reports that Wedding had voluntarily turned himself in to Mexican authorities were denied by his lawyer.
"That is a false narrative," Colombo told the BBC outside the courthouse.
Due to protests outside the Los Angeles federal building connected to federal immigration operations, Wedding’s court appearance was moved to Santa Ana in Orange County. He is scheduled to appear again in Los Angeles on 9 February.
Wedding, who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, remains physically imposing, standing 1.91 metres tall and weighing approximately 109 kilograms. Journalists at the hearing noted that his wrists were not shackled, which drew attention given the serious nature of the charges.
US authorities describe Wedding as using multiple aliases, including "El Jefe," "Giant," "Public Enemy," "James Conrad King," and "Jesse King". Investigators say he began his criminal enterprise after being released from US federal prison in 2011, where he had served time for cocaine distribution. The charges also allege that he ordered dozens of killings in the United States, Canada, and Latin America.
Officials say that while authorities were searching for him, Wedding was living in luxury in Mexico. The FBI has released images of his motorcycle collection seized during the arrest, which it values at roughly $40 million.
In November, RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme confirmed that seven Canadians linked to the cartel had been arrested and were awaiting extradition to the US.
