In a dramatic courtroom development, Montreal gangster Tommy Demorizi has entered a plea of not guilty to charges connected to a high-profile assassination allegedly orchestrated by former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. The case, unfolding in Los Angeles, sheds light on a vast transnational criminal network with tentacles stretching across North America.
The Alleged Hit and Its Connection to Wedding
Demorizi, 35, was arraigned in U.S. District Court on eight serious charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to tamper with a witness. Federal prosecutors allege he acted as a middleman in a contract killing targeting FBI informant Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, who was murdered at a Medellin cafe in 2025. The indictment explicitly lists Demorizi as a member of the Wedding criminal enterprise, implicating him directly in the violent plot.
The assassination is said to have involved a Quebec-born hitman and a reggaeton singer, adding layers of international intrigue. Acebedo-Garcia reportedly had a $5 million bounty on his head, underscoring the high stakes within this criminal world.
Demorizi's Arrest and the Hunt for Wedding
Demorizi was apprehended in February at Newark International Airport after evading the FBI, with authorities believing he had been hiding in the Dominican Republic. His arrest is part of a broader crackdown on the Wedding organization, which law enforcement describes as a billion-dollar drug smuggling operation.
Ryan Wedding, a 44-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, transitioned from Olympic snowboarding to allegedly leading a sophisticated drug empire. Once based in Montreal, he relocated to Mexico as pressure mounted, only to be captured or surrendered—depending on conflicting accounts from his lawyer and FBI Director Kash Patel—in January. He now faces a slew of drug and conspiracy charges, with his trial scheduled for later this summer.
The Sprawling Criminal Network
The Wedding enterprise is accused of shipping massive quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine across the U.S.-Canada border, utilizing South Asian truckers and vehicles. As investigations intensified, the network began to unravel. In total, 37 individuals have been charged, including Wedding's alleged second-in-command, Andrew Clark, a 34-year-old former elevator mechanic from Toronto.
In October 2024, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging 16 defendants linked to the organization, alleging at least four murders tied to its drug-smuggling activities. The crackdown has seen numerous lieutenants, business associates, and South Asian crime bosses based in Brampton arrested, many facing extradition to the United States.
Expert Analysis on Wedding's Downfall
Antonio Nicaso, a Queen's University professor and leading expert on organized crime, speculated that Wedding's arrest may have been influenced by shifting dynamics in Mexico. With the Sinaloa cartel weakened by internal conflict and the Jalisco New Generation cartel rising, Wedding's protections south of the Rio Grande likely eroded, making his position untenable.
"I suspect this may have been one of the factors in his arrest," Nicaso told the Toronto Sun. "He was caught in a violent conflict—it would no longer be safe for him there." He added, "No criminal wants the FBI in their backyard," highlighting the relentless pursuit that ultimately dismantled the network.
As the legal proceedings advance, the case serves as a stark reminder of the far-reaching consequences of criminal associations. With Demorizi's plea and Wedding's upcoming trial, the fallout continues for all entangled in this elaborate web of crime.
