The price tag of $11.9 million for the Mercedes was considered high. However, the purchaser, suspected of being involved in money laundering for an international criminal organization, was accustomed to dealing with large sums of money.
Recently, CBC News revealed new information about the acquisition of a rare Mercedes-Benz supercar last year, which has been seized by the FBI as part of the investigation into Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding.
This high-profile seizure, believed to be the most expensive vehicle ever confiscated by U.S. federal authorities, garnered global attention. The 2002 CLK-GTR Roadster, a roofless marvel, is a sought-after vehicle among car enthusiasts and was reportedly desired by Drake. Being one of only six of its kind ever manufactured, the FBI valued the silver beauty at $13 million, $1.1 million more than the purchase price from last year, as highlighted in a recent social media post by the FBI.
Per a bill of sale obtained by CBC News, the vehicle was bought last year by Rolan Sokolovski, a jeweler from the Toronto area identified by U.S. authorities as one of Wedding’s two primary money launderers. It remains unclear whether Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder accused of running a violent cocaine-smuggling operation, directed the purchase. Nevertheless, the car seems to be part of a network of global assets allegedly utilized by Wedding to launder substantial amounts of drug money, as described by the U.S. Treasury Department.
The purchase agreement, dated August 8, 2024, bears Sokolovski’s signature and identifies his company, Diamond Tsar, as the buyer. U.S. Treasury officials allege that Sokolovski acted as Wedding’s financial manager for his criminal enterprise worth $1 billion, using Diamond Tsar as a front to launder its proceeds.
Sokolovski, 37, purportedly handled extensive cryptocurrency transactions for Wedding, one of the FBI’s most-wanted criminals, and procured jewelry and vehicles on his behalf.
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Wedding, aged 44, is believed to be evading authorities in Mexico, with a $15 million reward offered by the U.S. for information leading to his arrest.
A High-Performance Machine for the Road
The Mercedes, with just 22 kilometers on the odometer, is in pristine condition. The sales document lists two luxury car dealerships based in Missouri and Florida as part of the transaction. With a $2 million upfront payment from Sokolovski, the Mercedes was to be