US charges Mexican ex-judge with taking $2M bribe in Ryan Wedding case
The gist
A Mexican ex-judge was arrested in Colombia, accused of a $2M bribe to free Ryan Wedding's alleged deputy.
The case shows how bribery allegedly undermined repeated attempts to catch the ex-Olympian.
How it unfolded
- Oct 2024Andrew Clark, Wedding's alleged second-in-command, was arrested in Mexico on U.S. drug trafficking, murder and attempted murder charges in which Wedding was also named.
- Nov 2024 to Feb 2025Clark allegedly transferred about $2.75 million through intermediaries in small increments to secure his release, and negotiated an agreement to pay Benítez about $2 million.
- Feb 24, 2025Benítez allegedly received the full $2 million bribe and ordered Clark released on bond; Clark was rearrested days later and removed to the United States.
Key terms
- extradition proceedings
- Formal legal process by which one jurisdiction surrenders a person accused or convicted of a crime to another jurisdiction for prosecution or punishment.
- bond
- Pre-trial restrictions imposed on a charged person to ensure they do not obstruct justice and appear in court.
- indictment
- A formal accusation that a person has committed a crime, typically issued by a grand jury.
Source: Wikipedia