Canadian 'tremendously sorry' after spending stolen crypto on Lamborghini, BMWs, jewelry
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Canadian → spend → jewelry
Trenton Johnston sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to U.S. money laundering conspiracy
A 20-year-old who conned cryptocurrency holders out of millions of dollars — and lived large as a teenager in Florida with "extravagant" partying and access to a private jet and luxury cars — could soon be headed home to Canada.
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who → sentence → Canada
A U.S. federal judge in Miami on Monday sentenced Trenton Richard David (Trent) Johnston to time served after he pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy and handed over $3.8 million US worth of stolen crypto.
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he → sentence → crypto
Johnston, then 19, was seated in the back of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV that smelled of "freshly burned marijuana" when he was arrested in March, according to court documents.
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he → seat → documents
U.S. Homeland Security Investigations found Johnston, a Canadian citizen, impersonated Google tech support staff and representatives of crypto firms to convince unwitting victims to share the codes to their cryptocurrency wallets.
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Johnston → find → wallets
The scheme made him a fortune.
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scheme → make → fortune
Johnston was arrested after he was found with suspected amphetamine tablets in a Hermes bag while seated in the back of this Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
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he → arrest → Cullinan
Prosecutors detailed 'extravagant' lifestyle
In one instance in March, Johnston and an unnamed co-conspirator swindled a victim in California out of his life savings — 185 bitcoin, or the equivalent of about $13 million US at the time, court documents say.
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documents → detail → time
"We actually smacked a 185btc target today," Johnston wrote in a series of text messages to his accomplice, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Miami.
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Johnston → smack → Miami
"Club feels mad good after today."
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Club → feel → today
"And we ain't done," he added.
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he → do → ?
Prosecutors said Johston splurged on "an extravagant nightlife and entertainment lifestyle" while living in the Miami area, where he relocated in 2024.
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he → say → 2024
Some of his big-ticket purchases are laid out in court documents: a high-powered Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, two BMWs, jewelry and a private jet rental.
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Some → lay → documents
He didn't hide the ruse.
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He → hide → ruse
According to a witness interviewed by investigators, Johnston showed others how he carried out the thefts by sharing his screen over the social platform Discord.
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he → accord → platform
Johnston's defence lawyer Brooke C. Watson said in a recent court filing that after his arrest, the Canadian "turned over all of the stolen cryptocurrency in his possession," approximately $3.8 million US in bitcoin and ether, another type of cryptocurrency.
"
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Canadian → say → cryptocurrency
Mr. Johnston quickly admitted his conduct and is tremendously sorry for what he has done," Watson wrote.
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Watson → admit → what
Johnston had overstayed his 12-month U.S. tourist visa after crossing from Fort Erie, Ont., to Buffalo, N.Y., in October 2024 at age 18.
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Johnston → overstay → age
But the lawyer revealed in a court filing last week that Johnston's scheme started months earlier — when he was just 17 — in January 2024.
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he → reveal → January
In a court filing before sentencing, a defence lawyer for Johnston included pictures titled 'Trenton Johnston, growing up in Canada.'
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lawyer → include → Canada
The name of his hometown is redacted in the court documents.
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name → redact → documents
Hometown redacted in court documents
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Hometown → redact → documents
Watson did not respond to CBC News when asked where in Canada Johnston is from.
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Johnston → respond → Canada
His hometown and the names of his parents — a mechanic and a hair stylist — are redacted in court documents filed last week ahead of sentencing.
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hometown → redact → sentencing
In a plea deal, federal prosecutors agreed to withdraw a wire fraud conspiracy charge in exchange for Johnston's guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
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prosecutors → agree → laundering
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida had previously announced that Johnston faced 20 years in prison if convicted on both counts.
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Johnston → announce → counts
Prosecutors later said Johnston provided "substantial assistance in the investigation and prosecution" of other unnamed individuals.
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Johnston → say → individuals
He still faces a drug possession charge from Florida state prosecutors stemming from amphetamine pills found in a Hermes bag at the time of his March arrest in the back of that Rolls-Royce Cullinan in North Miami.
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He → face → Miami
It's unclear when Johnston will be released from custody.
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Johnston → release → custody
He already agreed to a removal order issued in April by a U.S. immigration judge.
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He → agree → judge
Eventually, Johnston is expected to be handed over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be deported to Canada.
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Johnston → expect → Canada
If you have a news tip related to this story, contact CBC News senior reporter Thomas Daigle by email: thomas.daigle@cbc.ca.
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you → have → email
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