"Sokolovski, a 38-year-old jeweller and former professional poker player, was among several Canadians arrested last November in a U.S. investigation into a billion-dollar international drug trafficking ring allegedly run by Wedding. He is alleged to have played a key role by laundering hundreds of millions of dollars in assets through his jewelry business and securing luxury items for Wedding, who was taken into U.S. custody earlier this year after a lengthy manhunt."
"Sokolovski filed an application for bail review in March, asking the Appeal Court to consider his recent arthritis diagnosis as new evidence and arguing the judge who denied his release made several errors in law. Sokolovski's lawyers proposed to have him released under strict conditions including house arrest, electronic monitoring and four sureties. But the Appeal Court found no reversible errors in the judge's bail decision and declined to admit Sokolovski's arthritis diagnosis as fresh evidence, keeping him behind bars pending an extradition hearing."
"Defence lawyers had argued the application judge had erred in concluding Sokolovski concealed details of his financial situation, but the Appeal Court sided with the judge, saying Sokolovski's "failure to provide a credible picture" of his finances gave rise to concern. "I agree with the application judge's conclusion that the applicant's lavish lifestyle remains unexplained, and the evidence amply supports that he is hiding his finances," the Appeal Court judge said."
""As a result, the risk that the applicant would abscond is, as the application judge concluded, very high." The court kept Sokolovski behind bars after upholding the decision to deny bail, with the matter continuing toward an extradition hearing."
Rolan Sokolovski, a 38-year-old jeweller and former professional poker player, sought a bail review after a judge denied his release. He argued that a recent arthritis diagnosis was new evidence and claimed legal errors in the original bail decision. He was arrested in a U.S. investigation into a billion-dollar international drug trafficking ring allegedly run by former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. Sokolovski was accused of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars through his jewelry business and helping secure luxury items for Wedding. His lawyers proposed release under strict conditions, including house arrest, electronic monitoring, and multiple sureties. The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the denial, rejected the arthritis diagnosis as fresh evidence, and found his lavish lifestyle and financial situation were not credibly explained, creating a very high risk he would abscond.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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