What the jury didn't hear at 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski’s fraud trial
Jury began deliberations Thursday morning in Toronto
Self-described 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski requested a mistrial on Monday morning because he said he wasn't receiving a fair trial without a lawyer representing him.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Shaun Nakatsuru denied Pleterski's request and gave his full decision on the matter Thursday morning after the jury at Pleterski's Toronto fraud trial began deliberations.
"I'm still confident if Mr. Pleterski had chosen to do so he would have been able to make full defence," Nakatsuru said in his ruling.
"
asserted
Nakatsuru → hear → ruling
Nothing I have seen at this trial has changed my view on that ...
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I → see → that
he has not brought a computer or a tablet, he has not brought any Crown disclosure….
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he → bring → disclosure
He has not made a single note that I have seen …
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I → make → that
I'm not even sure he was paying attention to the witnesses."
Pleterski is accused of fraud over $5,000.
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Pleterski → pay → 5,000
Prosecutors allege the 27-year-old took more than $36 million from investors for trading, but never put a cent of it into the trading platform on their contracts.
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old → allege → contracts
Instead, the Crown provided financial records at trial showing Pleterski spent $16.3 million of it on himself and gave another $16.1 million back to investors as returns.
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Pleterski → provide → returns
At the end of the Crown's case, they dropped a second charge of money laundering against the Pleterski.
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they → drop → Pleterski
Crown prosecutor Akshay Aurora delivered a roughly 90-minute closing statement at Pleterski's fraud trial on Wednesday.
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Aurora → deliver → Wednesday
During his trial this month, the mistrial request was one of roughly two dozen instances in which Pleterski claimed he didn't know what he was doing, didn't know what to ask, didn't have the expertise to defend himself or needed a lawyer.
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he → claim → lawyer
Some of those remarks were made in front of the jury, but many were not.
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many → make → jury
'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski addresses jury at his fraud trial for first time, says he's innocent
'Crypto King' trial hears recording of Aiden Pleterski admitting $300M fund 'never existed'
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fund → address → Pleterski
Conversations about these comments, Pleterski's limited participation in his own trial and Nakatsuru's belief that Pleterski was capable of mounting a defence if he so chose make up a significant portion of what the jury didn't hear in court.
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jury → mount → court
These details can now be reported because the jury is sequestered as they consider their verdict.
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they → report → verdict
You have decided essentially not to participate in this trial.
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You → decide → trial
It has become clear to me that it is being done for tactical reasons, Mr. Pleterski," Nakatsuru said on the third day of the trial, adding that he thought the reason was to bolster the success of an appeal.
"
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reason → become → appeal
You don't know the meaning of 'cul de sac' or 'I heard it through the grapevine.'
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I → know → grapevine
This is your trial, these are the choices you are making …
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you → make → ?
Ontario Superior Court Justice Shaun Nakatsuru is presiding over the trial of Pleterski.
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Nakatsuru → preside → Pleterski
Nakatsuru then encouraged Pleterski to participate in his trial.
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Nakatsuru → encourage → trial
By that point, the Crown had already called several investor witnesses but Pleterski only cross-examined the first.
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Pleterski → call → first
From then on, Pleterski declined to ask the others questions, instead saying "I need a lawyer" or that "I don't know what to ask."
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I → decline → what
Otherwise, Pleterski only spoke up during testimony to ask what "cul de sac" and "heard it through the grapevine" meant.
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Pleterski → speak → grapevine
He later told the judge he'd never heard the terms before and thought many other people his age hadn't heard them either.
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people → tell → them
"I am being genuine when I say I don't know what I'm doing and I need a lawyer," Pleterski told the judge on the third day, without the jury present.
"I sounded like an idiot up there," he added, referencing his sole cross-examination.
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he → say → examination
'Months to prepare your defence'
A day earlier, Nakatsuru had cut Pleterski off when he stood up and said he needed a lawyer in response to whether he had any questions for the Crown's second witness.
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he → prepare → witness
The jury was sent out of the courtroom and the judge told Pleterski there were "appropriate avenues" for him if he didn't agree with Nakatsuru's decision to deny Pleterski an adjournment the week before trial.
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he → send → trial
However, the judge said he would not allow Pleterski to say "I need a lawyer" in front of the jury.
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I → say → jury
"You've had months, months, to prepare your defence," said Nakatsuru.
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Nakatsuru → have → defence
"The fact that you're here without a lawyer is not a surprise … you were told about it months and months ago.
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you → tell → it
"
'Crypto King' spent $16.3M of investor funds on cars, credit cards, jets, security, accountant testifies
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accountant → spend → cars
Real estate developer testifies he gave 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski $4.5M to invest
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he → testify → M
Pleterski's Oct. 5 trial date was set, with or without counsel, in June 2025.
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date → set → June
A year later, the Crown told the court they had been coming back for appearances since November 2025 regarding Pleterski retaining a lawyer — with no movement.
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Pleterski → tell → movement
CBC News attended court appearances scheduled to see if Pleterski had retained counsel in May, June, July and September, but each time, he had not.
uncertain
he → attend → May
By late September, Pleterski did retain counsel to argue his motion for adjournment so he could have more time to hire a lawyer.
uncertain
he → retain → lawyer
Pleterski denied more time
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Pleterski → deny → time
In submissions for the adjournment, the lawyer Pleterski hired for the motion argued his client had been making efforts to secure the funds to retain a lawyer for trial.
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client → hire → trial
If the adjournment was granted, the lawyer argued, Pleterski's extended family members were willing to liquidate assets to help him cover the cost.
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members → grant → cost
However, the names of those family members and details on the assets were not provided to the court.
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names → provide → court
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
