A British Columbia Supreme Court justice has granted bail to the man accused of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars for one of Canada's most wanted fugitives, alleged drug kingpin Ryan Wedding.
"JP Morgan" Released to House Arrest
The accused, Rasheed Pascua Hossain, 32, of Vancouver, was granted release from jail on December 17, 2025. Known by the nickname "JP Morgan," Hossain faces serious charges in the United States for his alleged central role in Wedding's transnational cocaine trafficking empire.
The court ruled that Hossain can be released into house arrest at his family's home in Calgary. His release comes with strict conditions, including the requirement to wear an ankle monitor and a prohibition on possessing a cellphone. The judge also approved the transfer of his extradition case to an Alberta court.
FBI Allegations and U.S. Extradition Fight
According to an FBI indictment, Hossain managed and concealed drug proceeds for the "Ryan Wedding Criminal Enterprise." A U.S. federal arrest warrant was issued for him on October 28, 2025, in the Central District of California. He is charged with:
- Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine
- Conspiracy to export cocaine
- Conspiracy to launder money instruments
The U.S. alleges Hossain used the laundered funds to further the objectives of the drug trafficking organization. His bail was granted amid his ongoing legal battle against extradition to the United States.
The Intensifying Manhunt for Ryan Wedding
While his alleged financier posts bail, the hunt for Ryan Wedding, 44, continues to intensify. The former Olympic snowboarder from Thunder Bay is now on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. The reward for information leading to his capture and conviction has been increased to $15 million USD (approximately $20.6 million CAD).
Authorities believe Wedding is hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel and may have altered his appearance. U.S. law enforcement has recently released new photos of the fugitive in an effort to solicit public help.
Wedding is suspected of ordering dozens of murders, including in Canada, and is accused of leading a violent criminal network that floods North America with cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. His operation allegedly used trucking companies based in Peel Region, Ontario, and British Columbia to move drugs from Mexico to Los Angeles and then into Canada.
Potential Death Penalty and a Widening Net
The legal peril for Wedding is severe. In November 2025, he and associates were hit with a wide array of new charges, including for the execution-style killing of a Montreal-born drug trafficker, Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, in Medellin, Colombia, in January of that year. The FBI alleges Wedding placed a $5 million USD bounty on Acebedo-Garcia after learning he had become a federal witness.
If convicted of killing a federal witness, Wedding could face the federal death penalty in the United States. Akil Davis, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, stated that someone of Wedding's profile would stick out in Mexico, emphasizing their reliance on public tips to locate him.
Law enforcement officials hint that they are closing in, having dismantled significant portions of his organization in recent months. The case against Wedding has drawn comparisons to infamous narcotics figures like Pablo Escobar and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, marking one of the largest law enforcement efforts targeting a Canadian drug trafficker in decades.
