Ex-Olympic Snowboarder Charged With Murder, Running Cocaine Ring

A former Olympic snowboarder has been charged with working a lethal cocaine enterprise — and he stays at massive.

Ryan James Marriage ceremony, 43, who competed for Canada within the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake Metropolis, was charged Thursday, October 17 with working a felony enterprise, homicide, conspiring to distribute cocaine and different crimes, U.S. prosecutors mentioned.

Marriage ceremony, a Canadian citizen who was dwelling in Mexico and is now thought-about a fugitive, is accused of working a drug trafficking ring that moved 60 tons of cocaine per yr.

In accordance with authorities, Marriage ceremony’s group used long-haul semi vans to maneuver shipments of cocaine from Colombia via Mexico and California to Canada and different places in the US.

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Marriage ceremony is considered one of 16 people charged in connection to the operation, with 4 of them remaining fugitives. A dozen individuals have been arrested in Florida, Michigan, Canada, Colombia and Mexico in reference to the case, in line with FBI particular agent Krysti Hawkins. 

The FBI has issued a $50,000 reward for data that results in Marriage ceremony’s arrest and extradition.

Authorities say Marriage ceremony’s group turned lethal in 2023 when members of the crime ring killed two members of a household in Canada in retaliation for a stolen drug cargo. Officers say the murders turned out to be a case of mistaken identification. 

Andrew Clark, who was arrested October 8 by the FBI, and Marriage ceremony are alleged to have directed the murders, in line with a U.S. Division of Justice information launch on Thursday. 

The group can be charged with the homicide of 1 particular person in Might 2024 over a drug debt. 

“He selected to grow to be a serious drug trafficker, and he selected to grow to be a killer,” U.S. Lawyer Martin Estrada advised reporters Thursday. 

In reference to their investigation, authorities seized cocaine, weapons, ammunition, money and greater than $3 million in cryptocurrency.

Marriage ceremony additionally faces separate drug trafficking expenses in Canada courting again to 2015. 

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“These expenses are very a lot unresolved,” mentioned Chris Leather-based, chief superintendent with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

In accordance with federal information seen by ESPN, Marriage ceremony was beforehand convicted within the U.S. of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 4 years in jail in 2010.

After his launch, mentioned Estrada, he’s believed to have been protected by the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico whereas resuming his drug trafficking. 

Marriage ceremony completed twenty fourth within the parallel big slalom on the 2002 Winter Olympics.