Peter Nygard consents to extradition to U.S., as he faces new sexual assault charges in Toronto
Former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard will be extradited to the U.S. to face sex trafficking and racketeering charges in New York, court heard, on the same day Toronto police charged him with multiple sexual assaults.
On Friday morning, lawyers for the Attorney General of Canada told Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal that Nygard, 80, has consented to committal and that he will be extradited to the U.S.
Scott Farlinger, a lawyer for the Attorney General of Canada, said Nygard won’t be extradited immediately.
Joyal told Nygard that he cannot be extradited for at least 30 days, he can appeal, and he can also apply for bail while the federal justice minister decides whether to extradite him.
Criminal defence lawyer Ari Goldkind said he expects Nygard will be in New York within the next 45 to 90 days, but he doesn’t believe he will be held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center due to his age and health concerns.
“I do think we'll be talking about a Peter Nygard trial sometime within the 2022 calendar,” he told CTV News Channel on Friday.
Nygard’s lawyer Brian Greenspan said submissions will be made to the federal justice minister.
Nygard’s defence lawyers told the court that Nygard has always maintained his innocence and that consenting to the extradition will allow him to mount a defence in the U.S.
During the hearing, Nygard confirmed that he consented to the application for extradition and that he understands the significance of what he’s consented to.
U.S. authorities accuse him of using his influence in the fashion industry to lure women and girls with the promise of modelling gigs and other financial opportunities. He faces nine counts in the Southern District of New York. He has denied all allegations.
The extradition request from the U.S. details accounts from seven alleged victims, who are expected to testify at a criminal trial that their livelihoods were dependent on having sex with Nygard.
According to the request, Nygard is being charged for crimes “arising out of a decades-long pattern of criminal conduct involving at least dozens of victims in the United States, the Bahamas, and Canada, among other locations.”
The document adds that Nygard used the influence of his international clothing design, manufacturing, and supply business, Nygard Group, to “recruit and maintain adult and minor-aged female victims” for the sexual gratification of Nygard and his friends and business associates.
“Nygard and his co-conspirators, including Nygard Group employees, used force, fraud, and coercion to cause women and minors to have sex with Nygard and others,” U.S. authorities allege.
Nygard was arrested at his home in Winnipeg on Dec. 14, 2020 under the Extradition Act.
None of the charges have been proven in court.
On the same day as the extradition hearing in Winnipeg, Toronto police issued an arrest warrant for Nygard and announced they would be charging him with six counts of sexual assault and three counts of forcible confinement involving six complainants.
The charges, which have not been tested in court, stem from alleged incidents that took place between 1987 and 2006.
Following the hearing in Winnipeg, Greenspan told reporters there that it will be up to the newly appointed federal justice minister to decide whether Nygard will have to answer to the Canadian charges before the U.S. charges.
Chris Burkett, an international lawyer at Deloitte Canada, said he expects Nygard to face the U.S. charges first.
“I think, given that the charges in New York came first and this process has been undertaken, that he would first go to the United States to face trial and then, ultimately down the road, potentially face trial on the Canadian charges as well,” he told CTV News Channel on Friday.
He added that he thinks it will be difficult for Nygard’s team to defeat the charges in the U.S.
“There’s a number of alleged victims that have come forward so he has a very, very tough road ahead and faces life in prison in the United States if he’s unsuccessful,” he said.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Celebrations, protests take place on Canada Day in Ottawa
Thousands of people wearing red and white and waiving Canadian flags packed downtown Ottawa to celebrate Canada's 155th birthday on Friday, while groups of protesters popped up around Parliament Hill to protest COVID-19 vaccines and federal restrictions.

'It's recent': Survivor reflects on last Sask. residential school closing 25 years ago
It's been 25 years since Saskatchewan's last residential school closed, but some are still healing.
Biden intends to nominate a conservative, anti-abortion lawyer to federal judgeship, Kentucky Democrats say
U.S. President Joe Biden intends to nominate an anti-abortion Republican lawyer to a federal judgeship, two Kentucky Democrats informed of the decision say.
'Summer of recovery': Pandemic-stricken tourism industry sees signs of optimism
Canada Day has kicked off the unofficial start of summer, and the tourism sector is hopeful the first season in three years largely free of COVID-19 restrictions will marshal a much-needed boost for a pandemic-stricken industry.
'You do not want this' virus: California man with monkeypox urges others to get vaccinated
A California man has posted a widely-shared video in an attempt to educate people about the monkeypox virus outbreak, to encourage people to get vaccinated if they're eligible and to make it very clear: 'You do not want this.'
West Vancouver retiree heading back to Ukraine to help abandoned animals
When Dan Fine returned from his first trip volunteering at animal shelters on the Polish-Ukrainian border in late April, he immediately felt compelled to return to continue helping pets that have been left behind in the war.
'We have to build bridges': Canadian singer Chantal Kreviazuk on Ukraine, reconciliation
Moving toward reconciliation doesn't come from jumping 'the queue to perfection,' but by building bridges and trusting one another, Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk told CTV News Channel during Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa on Friday.
The Canadian flag in the context of 'Freedom Convoy' and residential schools
In the wake of last year’s discoveries of unmarked graves at residential schools and the prominent displays of the Canadian flag during 'Freedom Convoy' protests, some Canadians are re-evaluating the meaning of the national symbol.
'Not going to happen in our lifetime': First-time homebuyers share their struggles with purchasing a home
A recent survey shows nearly 50 per cent of Canadians who rent expect to do so forever. As rising interest and inflation rates contribute to a sense of pessimism among first-time homebuyers in Canada, some are sharing their struggles with purchasing their first house.
W5 HIGHLIGHTS
Families falsely accused of child abuse call for mandatory medical second opinions
Families across the country tell W5 they were falsely accused of child abuse after bringing their sick or injured child to the hospital. Some parents are calling for mandatory medical second opinions when it comes to cases flagged in hospitals.

Lisa Raitt shares the pain behind her husband's devastating diagnosis
Former Deputy Leader of the Conservatives Lisa Raitt shares the pain behind her husband's devastating diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's and the story of their enduring love, in a candid and revealing interview with CTV W5.

W5 INVESTIGATES | Viral Facebook post sparks criminal investigation into pediatric dentist
W5 investigates disturbing allegations against a pediatric dentist in Nova Scotia whose treatment of children over five decades is now an alleged crime.

Did politics muzzle a doctor who spoke out about the Ontario government's COVID-19 response?
CTV W5's latest investigation: For a year, Dr. Brooks Fallis ran the Critical Care unit at a Brampton Hospital. He openly criticized Premier Ford’s COVID-19 response and was warned by his bosses there could be consequences.
Exclusive: Doctors tell W5 why they spoke out during the pandemic
For the past two years, a number of doctors across Canada have advocated for their patients and questioned the role of politics in the handling of COVID-19. To explore the issues, W5 convened a group of seven physicians from across the country.
W5 Investigates | Canadian doctors decide whether Indigenous women are fit to be mothers
W5 investigates Canadian doctors performing the irreversible procedure of forced sterilizations on Indigenous women.
Prescription drug side-effects: How they're vastly under-reported and one man's tragic, cautionary tale
An Ontario man shares his horrifying story of murder as W5 investigates the widespread under-reporting of serious side-effects from prescription drugs.
A rare look at Canada's growing demand for medical assistance in dying
CTV W5 investigates the growing demand for medically-assisted death, and reveals stories of those determined to die with dignity.