Executive Summary
- Tommy Demorizi was arrested by the FBI at Newark Liberty International Airport for allegedly aiding a murder conspiracy.
- The charges relate to the killing of Jonathan Acebedo Garcia, a federal witness testifying against Ryan Wedding.
- Ryan Wedding allegedly placed a $5 million bounty on the witness, who was murdered in Colombia in January 2025.
- Demorizi is accused of paying for information to help locate the witness prior to the assassination.
NEWARK, N.J. – Federal agents arrested a Montreal man at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday for his alleged participation in a conspiracy to murder a federal witness. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehended Tommy Demorizi, 35, marking the 37th arrest connected to the alleged drug trafficking enterprise led by former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Demorizi was taken into custody after arriving on a flight from the Dominican Republic, where authorities believe he had been evading law enforcement. An FBI spokesperson confirmed the arrest is directly linked to the broader investigation into Wedding’s alleged criminal network. Prosecutors accuse Demorizi of assisting the organization in locating Jonathan Acebedo Garcia, a confidential informant and key witness who was scheduled to testify against Wedding.
Court filings released by the Department of Justice allege that Demorizi paid an associate, identified as reggaeton musician Basora-Hernandez, approximately $1,000 to obtain contact information for Acebedo Garcia. The indictment suggests this intelligence gathering was part of a concerted effort by Wedding to eliminate the witness. Authorities state that Wedding, upon learning of Acebedo Garcia’s cooperation following an October 2024 indictment, placed a bounty of up to $5 million on the informant’s head.
The investigation reveals that the plot culminated in violence on January 31, 2025, in Medellin, Colombia. According to the indictment, surveillance footage obtained by the alleged criminal organization showed Acebedo Garcia being followed to a restaurant. A gunman subsequently approached the witness and fatally shot him five times. The FBI has identified five suspects in the shooting, including an individual who allegedly photographed the victim’s body immediately following the murder to confirm the kill.
U.S. law enforcement officials have characterized the Wedding organization as a transnational criminal enterprise responsible for moving significant quantities of cocaine through Mexico and California into Canada. The 54-page indictment unsealed in November claims the network routinely utilized violence to protect its operations. Authorities allege that Wedding’s legal counsel, Deepak Paradkar, advised him that the charges would be dismissed if the key witness was eliminated, a claim that remains part of the prosecution’s case.
Transnational Judicial Enforcement
The arrest of a foreign national on U.S. soil for crimes committed against the American judicial process underscores the extensive reach of federal law enforcement in protecting witness integrity. This case highlights a zero-tolerance approach toward the intimidation or elimination of federal witnesses, regardless of where the violence occurs globally. The coordination between the FBI, Border Patrol, and international agencies signals a robust strategy to dismantle the support structures of transnational criminal organizations, targeting not just the leadership but also the logistical facilitators. It is important to note that all individuals named in the indictment, including Demorizi and Wedding, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
