Montreal Gangster Pleads Not Guilty in Alleged Wedding-Ordered Assassination
In a dramatic development in a sprawling transnational criminal case, Montreal gangster Tommy Demorizi has pleaded not guilty to charges connected to an assassination allegedly orchestrated by former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. This plea comes as law enforcement agencies continue to make arrests in connection with Wedding's purported billion-dollar drug empire, which has seen dozens of associates rounded up across North America.
The Charges and Allegations
Demorizi, 35, was arraigned Friday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on eight serious charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to tamper with a witness. A federal indictment identifies him as a member of the Ryan Wedding criminal enterprise, a sophisticated organization accused of smuggling vast quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine across the U.S.-Canada border.
The specific assassination Demorizi is implicated in allegedly involved a Quebec-born hitman and a reggaeton singer, targeting FBI informant Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia in Medellin, Colombia, in 2025. Acebedo-Garcia reportedly had a $5 million bounty on his head, linked to the Colombian crime syndicate Oficina de Envigado.
The Hunt for Demorizi and Wedding
Demorizi was arrested in February at Newark International Airport in New Jersey after allegedly evading the FBI by hiding in the Dominican Republic. His arrest is part of a broader crackdown that has netted 37 individuals charged in relation to Wedding's operations.
Ryan Wedding, a 44-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and former Olympic snowboarder, is described by authorities as the mastermind behind this transnational criminal enterprise. He was arrested in Mexico in January 2026, with conflicting reports on whether he surrendered or was captured. Wedding has pleaded not guilty to a slew of drug and conspiracy charges, with his trial scheduled for later this summer. He remains one of the FBI's ten most wanted fugitives.
The Downfall of a Criminal Empire
According to law enforcement, Wedding's organization utilized South Asian truckers and drivers to transport drugs across borders, with operations once headquartered in Montreal before relocating to Mexico as pressure mounted. However, the empire began to unravel as investigations intensified.
In October 2024, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging 16 defendants linked to Wedding's network, alleging at least four murders tied to the drug-smuggling operation. Among those arrested was Andrew Clark, 34, a former elevator mechanic from Toronto described as Wedding's alleged second-in-command at the time.
Expert Analysis on the Case
Queen's University professor Antonio Nicaso, a leading expert on organized crime, speculated that Wedding's arrest may have been influenced by escalating violence in Mexico. With the Sinaloa cartel—Wedding's reported protectors—weakened by internal conflict and the rise of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, Nicaso suggested that Mexico became increasingly unsafe for Wedding.
"I'm only speculating, but I suspect this may have been one of the factors in his arrest," Nicaso told the Toronto Sun in January. "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."
As the legal proceedings advance, the case underscores the far-reaching impact of organized crime and the relentless pursuit by international law enforcement to dismantle such networks. With Demorizi's not guilty plea, the stage is set for a complex trial that will further expose the alleged inner workings of Wedding's criminal enterprise.
