New accusations outline how ‘cocaine lawyer’ helped alleged Ryan Wedding drug ring
CBC
After an FBI informant was killed last year, “cocaine lawyer” Deepak Paradkar doubled down on his assertion that the FBI’s case against accused drug kingpin Ryan Wedding would unravel, now that the man had been killed, according to new evidence from U.S. prosecutors.
Prosecutors have previously alleged that Paradkar advised Wedding and his second-in-command Andrew Clark to kill the informant to ensure the case against them would collapse.
In a new court filing, Paradkar is accused of “reaffirming that belief” in conversations with Wedding and a co-operating witness that the FBI’s case was “no longer viable” after the January 2025 killing of Montreal-born former drug trafficker-turned-FBI informant Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia.
Paradkar, a well-known Brampton, Ont., criminal defence lawyer who once went by “cocaine lawyer” on social media was arrested in November, amid accusations he played a key role in Wedding’s alleged murderous drug-trafficking empire.
New insight into the FBI’s investigation also reveals new details about the allegations against Paradkar, which include how he used his law practice to facilitate introductions to drug traffickers and on how he shared legal disclosure with Wedding and Clark.
The revelations are contained in a 46-page record of the case, which was reviewed by CBC News after it was shared with defence lawyers representing some of Wedding's associates arrested in Canada in November.
Paradkar is facing extradition to the U.S., where he could receive a life sentence if he is convicted of charges including conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to retaliate against a witness.
Paradkar’s license to practice law was suspended in December and he was released on $5 -million bail. He’s denied any wrongdoing.
The case record states Paradkar had access to high-level drug traffickers through his law practice and used it to broker deals and facilitate client introductions.
After Toronto police announced their largest-ever drug bust in January 2025 — $83 million worth of cocaine — Paradkar was hired to defend some of those charged, according to the U.S. court filing.
At the time, investigators said the cocaine appeared to be linked to one of Mexico’s most notorious drug syndicates, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel — considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Canadian governments. Mexican authorities have also linked the group to Wedding’s purported drug ring.
It's alleged that Paradkar was on Wedding's payroll and “oversaw cases of individuals arrested that could report on the Wedding [drug trafficking organization],” the document reads.
“Paradkar would obtain discovery, pass the discovery onto Wedding and Clark, and at times when requested, let Wedding and Clark listen in on client conversations where the clients were members or associates of the [drug trafficking organization].”
It says Wedding and Clark paid Paradkar a fee for these additional services and that Clark paid Paradkar approximately $1 million in a 12-month period for various “favours.”
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