Canadian man sentenced to 25 months in prison for crypto fraud

October 29 - According to CBC, a federal judge in Miami, USA, sentenced 20-year-old Canadian man Trenton Johnston to 25 months in prison. Previously, he pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and handed over approximately $3.8 million in stolen cryptocurrency. Johnston began committing crimes in January 2024 (at age 17), impersonating Google technical support and crypto company representatives to trick victims into providing wallet access codes.

In one case, he and accomplices defrauded a California victim of 185 bitcoins (then worth about $13 million). He then used the illicit funds to purchase a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, two BMWs, jewelry, and private jet rentals and other luxury expenses.