The parents of a Calgary man accused by U.S. authorities of helping facilitate the murder of an FBI informant linked to alleged Canadian drug kingpin Ryan Wedding are offering a $500,000 surety as he seeks bail while fighting extradition. Allistair Chapman, 33, appeared in Calgary court Tuesday as his two-day bail hearing began. Chapman was arrested Nov. 18, 2025, on a provisional extradition warrant and faces U.S. charges including conspiracy to distribute and export cocaine, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to retaliate against a witness and other organized crime offences. U.S. prosecutors allege Chapman was part of what they describe as the “Wedding Criminal Enterprise” and helped arrange the killing of a government informant by providing the man’s photo to a co-accused and paying for it to be posted online so the witness could be located before testifying. The informant was later shot dead at a restaurant in Colombia. Chapman’s court appearance comes days after the FBI announced Wedding — a former Olympic snowboarder turned fugitive — had been arrested in Mexico after being placed on the bureau’s 10 most-wanted list. FBI director Kash Patel said Wedding was taken into custody Thursday night and is being transported to the United States. Chapman is seeking release ahead of his extradition hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. Defence lawyer Noel O’Brien told the court Chapman is a “person sought, not accused,” emphasizing he has no criminal record, strong ties to Calgary and a 7-year-old son. O’Brien said Chapman has not left Canada in about a decade, and previously complied with bail conditions for more than two years without a single breach. The defence proposed Chapman be released to live with his parents under strict conditions, including house arrest, curfew and monitoring, with both parents acting as sureties and pledging a combined $500,000 on his behalf. “It is very unlikely that this man would breach these conditions to cost this family that kind of money,” O’Brien told the court. O’Brien described Chapman’s parents as long-married, well-established in the community and experienced in supervising their son under court-ordered conditions. He argued detention is not necessary to ensure Chapman attends court or to protect public safety, noting no weapons or drugs were found at Chapman’s home and that Chapman has been compliant while in custody. O’Brien also raised concerns about the extradition process, saying the defence has not yet received the record of the case — a document summarizing the evidence relied upon by U.S. authorities. He told the court Chapman has been in custody for more than two months without access to that material. The defence further questioned the strength of the allegations, saying no evidence has been disclosed directly linking Chapman to the killing. Chapman was arrested at his Calgary home in November after U.S. authorities sought a provisional warrant. His lawyer said police executed an arrest warrant but did not have a search warrant when items were seized. The court also heard Chapman would have the right to appeal if extradited. The judge noted that whether Chapman could face the death penalty in the United States may also factor into Canada’s ultimate extradition decision. The bail hearing continues Thursday.
