Based on coverage from CBC, Toronto Star, The Hamilton Spectator, The Peterborough Examiner, and CHAT News Today.
Federal prosecutors are asking Ontario’s top court to put a Toronto-area defence lawyer back behind bars while he fights a U.S. extradition request tied to an alleged international drug smuggling ring.
This case follows a recent development in which a Canadian man pleaded guilty to a $17 million cross-border drug trafficking operation, underscoring the ongoing challenges in combating international drug smuggling networks in Canada and the U.S. For more on this issue, see our coverage of the cross-border drug trafficking case.
Deepak Paradkar, a Thornhill, Ont., lawyer, was released on strict bail in December. Now the Attorney General of Canada, acting for U.S. prosecutors, is arguing the judge who granted that bail got it wrong and that Paradkar should be detained until his extradition hearing.
Ontario Court of Appeal bail fight
The Court of Appeal for Ontario is set to hear the Crown’s bid to revoke Paradkar’s bail. Court filings say prosecutors want the appeal court to step in to protect public confidence in the justice system, protect the public, and avoid jeopardizing Canada’s ability to meet its treaty obligations in the case.
Paradkar was arrested for extradition last fall along with other Canadians as part of an FBI investigation focused on Ryan Wedding, the former Olympic snowboarder from Thunder Bay, Ont., who U.S. authorities allege became a major drug trafficker.
Allegations tied to Ryan Wedding drug ring
Prosecutors allege Paradkar used his position and connections as a lawyer to help Wedding’s operation. The claims include advising Wedding on the murder of a federal witness, introducing Wedding to drug traffickers moving product through North America, and directing intelligence-gathering after drugs were seized by law enforcement.
The Toronto Star report describes U.S. prosecutors’ “most startling” allegation this way: that Paradkar advised Wedding that if a key confidential witness was killed, the charges against Wedding would be dropped. That witness, Montrealer Jonathan Acebedo Garcia, was murdered in Medellin, Colombia, in January 2025, months after authorities unveiled an indictment involving Wedding and associates, according to the Star.
Paradkar’s lawyer, Ravin Pillay, has previously said Paradkar denies the allegations and intends to fight extradition.
Strict Toronto-area bail conditions and money pledged
Paradkar was granted bail in December under conditions that include 24/7 house arrest, GPS monitoring, and no access to electronic devices unless he’s with his sureties.
The Canadian Press reports Paradkar and his wife, his primary surety, pledged $5 million. The Star report puts the bail at $5.25 million. Both accounts agree the conditions are tight and that his wife is central to supervising compliance.
Why prosecutors say the judge erred
Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden, who granted bail, said he found it unlikely Paradkar would flee. According to Canadian Press, Bawden suggested the alleged organization would be more inclined to kill Paradkar than help him, calling staying on bail potentially “the only way to stay alive.”
Bawden also pointed to Paradkar’s health, including diabetes and a history of heart problems, saying detention could harm him and that living on the run would be difficult because he would eventually need medical care.
Prosecutors argue those findings were flawed. In their bail review application, they say Bawden did not properly scrutinize Paradkar’s wife as a surety, pointing to her role in his legal practice and what they call the family’s “conspicuous and unexplained wealth.” They also argue the judge didn’t wrestle enough with signs of a lifestyle that didn’t match a “relatively modest income,” including leasing four high-end cars and an insurance claim involving a large amount of designer items.
The Crown also says the idea that the criminal network would target Paradkar rather than help him is speculation, and argues too much weight was placed on health and safety concerns. Prosecutors point to evidence from cross-examination, saying Paradkar testified his health had been stable for four or five years, hadn’t interfered with international travel, and that he hadn’t suffered medical incidents while in custody.
Defence response and what happens next
Pillay, in response filings described by the Star, argues the Crown has not shown reviewable legal errors that justify revoking bail. He says the Crown’s claims, including the “unexplained conspicuous wealth,” are speculative.
He also argues the flight-risk narrative is weakened by the fact Paradkar has been on bail for more than three months without fleeing. And he says Wedding’s arrest in Mexico in January undercuts the suggestion that Wedding’s organization could help Paradkar disappear, arguing there’s no evidence the drug trafficking organization still exists or has members at large.
Meanwhile, U.S. authorities are moving toward Wedding’s trial after what Canadian Press describes as a lengthy manhunt. Wedding had been on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list and is alleged to have ordered several murders, including a witness connected to a 2024 narcotics case.
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