A blogger from Canada accused of aiding Ryan Wedding, a fugitive, in planning the murder of an FBI informant revealed to CBC News that he was paid a substantial sum to keep quiet about the case. Gursewak Singh Bal, residing in Mississauga, Ont., is currently facing various charges in the United States, including conspiracy to commit murder as part of an ongoing criminal operation.
Bal, 31, was mentioned in a broad federal grand jury indictment unveiled recently, as the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI disclosed additional arrests linked to Wedding’s alleged international drug-smuggling syndicate. The indictment states that Bal managed the “Canadian urban news outlet” named the Dirty News. The website, known for showcasing crime scenes and profiles of criminal individuals, was taken offline at the request of U.S. authorities.
Allegations by U.S. prosecutors claim that Bal accepted a $10,000 payment from a confederate of Wedding to publish a photo of a crucial FBI informant, intending for network members to locate and eliminate him. Moreover, the indictment asserts that Bal agreed to maintain silence about Wedding and his associate, Andrew Clark, a prominent figure within the criminal network.
Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and now one of the FBI’s top 10 most-wanted fugitives, is accused by U.S. and Canadian authorities of operating a criminal enterprise worth $1 billion USD, mainly involved in trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl across North America using transport trucks.
The Dirty News website was deactivated following a request from U.S. authorities after a CBC News reporter reached out to the outlet’s X account, which was subsequently removed. The account had posted a video displaying stacks of Canadian currency and hinted at Wedding’s generous payments to his associates involved in drug transportation networks.
An individual managing the email account for the Dirty News informed CBC News in June that they received a significant sum from Wedding and his associates to withhold information. Despite plans to publish their story, it was never released, and Bal is now considered a member of the Wedding Criminal Enterprise.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that Wedding utilized the Dirty News to share photos of a witness and his spouse to track down the witness successfully. The witness, identified as “Victim A” in the indictment, was likely Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, a Canadian-Colombian drug trafficker who collaborated with the FBI to dismantle Wedding’s network.
Bal allegedly posted a photo of “Victim A” on Instagram with a caption applauding him for exposing the criminal network, suggesting that he might not be found again. Acebedo-Garcia was later fatally shot in a restaurant in Colombia.
Recent court documents from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice indicate that an undercover RCMP officer contacted Bal through Instagram as part of an investigation, seeking help to locate a “rat.” Bal disclosed that he received the $10,000 payment in cryptocurrency from Wedding’s network and hinted at charging a considerable fee for certain services.
Despite Andrew Clark’s arrest in Mexico last year, the indictment timeline suggests that he received updates on the planned assassination while in custody. Bal, along with six other alleged Wedding associates in Canada, was apprehended this week and faces extradition to the U.S. Bal has not addressed the accusations in a court setting.