Calvi Leon
@calvileon.bsky.social
Reporter at the Toronto Star - mostly crime, courts and breaking news. cleon@thestar.ca
Unsealed court documents reveal new alleged links between Ryan Wedding’s cocaine empire — including his self-proclaimed “cocaine lawyer” — and a deadly turf war in Toronto. New from @calvileon.bsky.social:
New documents link alleged Ryan Wedding hit man — and his @cocaine_lawyer — to bloody Toronto gang war
The man at the centre of it all is Malik Cunningham — the alleged Toronto hit man from Jane-Falstaff who was picked up almost by chance in the Spring of
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The children of a couple killed in a botched hit allegedly ordered by Ryan Wedding have filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Peel police. They allege officers knew their family was in danger but failed to warn them during a visit just four days earlier. Full story here: shorturl.at/Wc7KH
Ryan Wedding and the murders in Caledon: Lawsuit claims Peel police failed to warn this family about the hit men looking for a trucker named Bobby
Shortly before the murders of Jagtar Sidhu and Harbhajan Kaur Sidhu, a pair of Peel police officers knocked on their door looking for a man named “Bobby.” Days later, it
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Really smart reporting from Betsy Powell. Ontario police are using ODITs that essentially allow them to take over a smartphone, read encrypted messages, remotely turn on microphones and cameras, etc. Incredibly powerful surveillance software. And they refuse to say even the name of the vendor.
Ontario police are using spyware that lets them remotely take over your smartphone. They’re fighting to keep almost everything about it secret
The police use of ODITs is so secret that police forces have signed agreements to drop serious criminal investigations rather than reveal the name of their vendor.
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A truly remarkable piece of investigative journalism here from the Star's Jacques Gallant. The line often attributed to Dostoyevsky is: You judge a society by how it treats its prisoners. Well, our society has locked Camelott Hamblett alone in a room for 20 years running. An appalling status quo.
The story of Camelott Hamblett and why he’s spent two decades locked in a room alone at this Ontario psychiatric hospital
Hamblett may be the one Ontarian who’s spent the most time in psychiatric seclusion. In a four-part series, the Star investigates who’s responsible.
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Researchers have been watching this network of YouTube accounts for awhile--the accounts post regularly, push a consistent message and if one goes down, another pops up. They've now turned attention to Alberta separation, and US annexation. www.thestar.com/news/investi...
A network of YouTube accounts is promoting U.S. annexation to Albertans, researchers say. It has 40M views
Flagged as a "potential covert influence operation" in a new report, those behind the network are tough to trace.
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If I Were Mayor I would end CafeTO on busy streets like Lakeshore (you cannot gaslight me into eating an expensive pizza next to streetcars and exhaust fumes). Fortunately other Toronto residents have better ideas and I would like to endorse Kevin Gausman for mayor: www.thestar.com/news/gta/we-...
We asked 12 notable Torontonians what they would do if they were mayor of this city. Here’s what they said
In the runup to October’s municipal election, the Star is asking notable Torontonians and readers what they would do if they had the power of the city’s mayor.
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The court just released new, heavily redacted, records on the Ontario murder at the centre of Ryan Wedding’s downfall. @calvileon.bsky.social has the story:
The driveway hit that may have brought down Ryan Wedding: Court releases new, heavily redacted, records on the Ontario murder at the centre of ex-Olympian’s downfall
The Star argued in court this week that the redactions are not necessary and appear to be inconsistent with what other law enforcement agencies have already made public.
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The lawyer for a small-time Toronto criminal facing extradition to the U.S. for allegedly murdering an enemy of Ryan Wedding’s cocaine empire is asking the Crown for key evidence behind what he says is an entirely made-in-Canada investigation. www.thestar.com/news/gta/why...
Why is this alleged Toronto hit man being extradited to the U.S. over a Canadian murder? Defence presses court over Ryan Wedding co-accused
Malik Cunningham is facing charges over an alleged offence against a Canadian victim that happened on Canadian soil, and was investigated by Canadian authorities — so why, his defence asks,
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A veteran Toronto police detective pleaded guilty yesterday to assault causing bodily harm for surprise-tackling a man in a homeless shelter, breaking his ribs & rupturing his spleen. The cop thought the man had committed a sexual assault, but it was the wrong guy. www.thestar.com/news/crime/a...
A Toronto cop mistook this man for a suspect. The violent encounter left him with broken ribs and ruptured spleen
Det. Const. Christopher Merritt pleaded guilty to the 2024 assault and will serve no jail time — a sentence his victim feels is insufficient.
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A Court of Appeal judge will soon decide if the alleged lawyer to Ryan Wedding should have his bail revoked. Deepak Paradkar was released on a $5.25M bail last Dec. Since then, Wedding was arrested & a trove of new evidence was filed (thanks to new FBI witness) www.thestar.com/news/gta/rya...
Ryan Wedding’s alleged Ontario ‘cocaine lawyer’ got bail. The Court of Appeal is set to decide whether that was a mistake
The Crown alleges Deepak Paradkar was paid millions of dollars for “egregiously abusing his position as a licensed lawyer.”
thestar.com
Mastermind of Canada's largest gold heist admits to $20-million theft at Pearson airport, paying off 'debt list' www.thestar.com/news/gta/mas... via @thestar.com @calvileon.bsky.social
Mastermind of Canada’s largest gold heist admits to $20-million theft at Pearson airport, paying off ‘debt list’
The 44-year-old mastermind behind the April 2023 heist, was arrested last January at Pearson airport after flying in from Dubai.
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For this @thestar.com investigation, I spoke with more than 40 veterans & healthcare professionals who denounced the rehab program run by PCVRS, a joint venture involving Loblaw. Read here: www.thestar.com/news/investi...
They were injured in military service. Canada promised better rehab. Here’s why these veterans are still in pain
The program is run by the private sector, including a Loblaw subsidiary, for $570M. Ottawa says it can improve but is effective for most vets.
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My latest on the Ryan Wedding case: How a music video tipped off a team of hit men to track down and kill a federal witness set to testify against Wedding at trial. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...
The Ryan Wedding case: How this music video tipped off a team of hit men to track down and kill the FBI’s key witness
The video would be used by members of Wedding's DTO to track down and kill a confidential informant.
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Toronto jail guard arrested in the wake of the Project South police corruption scandal. Story by @calvileon.bsky.social and @aobrien.bsky.social
Toronto jail guard arrested in the wake of the Project South police corruption scandal
The correctional officer, accused of directing another guard to search the jail’s inmate database, intends to fight the allegations, his lawyer said.
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Suspicious transactions at GTA crypto shops reveal alleged links to Iran-backed terror groups. Is the regulator doing enough to police them? Latest investigation from @sheilawang.bsky.social and me, with help from our friends at @icij.org www.thestar.com/news/investi...
Suspicious transactions at GTA crypto shops reveal alleged links to Iran-backed terror groups. Is the regulator doing enough to police them?
FINTRAC says it rigorously polices the money services sector, has issued more than $200 million in fines, and is monitoring crypto activity.
thestar.com
Ryan Wedding walked into a California courtroom with a sneer, eyeing investigators in the front row and a swarm of journalists packing the gallery. The Star's @calvileon.bsky.social reports from Santa Ana, Calif.
The six biggest unsolved mysteries of the Ryan Wedding case — ‘He will not survive prison if he gives up the wrong people’
Ryan Wedding has been arrested. But many of the biggest open questions in his case remain unanswered.
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This by @j-pags.bsky.social & @calvileon.bsky.social is my favourite piece of crime reporting in years. The fact this guy filed his indignant lawsuit while under FBI investigation — after he was interviewed by the FBI! And that it's the Star who told his civil lawyers he's in jail. *chef's kiss*
The FBI was closing in on Ryan Wedding’s alleged Toronto money man. Then he laid bare his own crypto accounts in a lawsuit
According to the FBI, Rolan Sokolovski, 37, is one of Ryan Wedding’s “chief money launderers.” Earlier this year, he detailed his own accounts — including ties to crypto wallets linked
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