Canada

The Toronto man identified as a "chief money launderer" for fugitive Ryan Wedding tried to flee to the Bahamas before his recent arrest, according to U.S. prosecutors.

What's more, they allege it was the FBI's seizure of an ultra-rare Mercedes — purportedly purchased on Wedding's behalf — that prompted Rolan Sokolovski to leave Canada in a hurry.

Sokolovski, 37, is asking an Ontario court to release him on bail while he faces extradition to the United States on conspiracy charges related to money laundering and cocaine trafficking. The jeweller and former professional poker player appeared before a judge in a downtown Toronto courtroom on Wednesday for a third straight day.

The new allegations are contained in a letter from Los Angeles-based assistant U.S. attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Kenneth R. Carbajal, who claim Sokolovski is a flight risk and that he "poses a danger to the community" as a member of Wedding's purported murderous drug ring.