Sacha Singh — a self‑described financially savvy real‑estate developer — told jurors Wednesday he funneled more than $3.6 million into Aiden Pleterski’s purported crypto and foreign‑exchange enterprise, convinced the young man was generating extraordinary returns for people in his circle — and despite knowing the venture carried significant risk.
asserted
venture → self‑describe → risk
“I know a lot of big entrepreneurs these days in the crypto space are younger kids, very savvy,” Singh said, citing global examples of billionaires who launched companies in their teens or early twenties.
“I kept on hearing about him over and over and over, so I thought he was a sharp kid — could be one of those unicorns.”
uncertain
he → know → unicorns
Appearing in a Toronto courtroom by Zoom from overseas, Singh testified at the “Crypto King” fraud trial, a moniker Pleterski picked up during his high‑flying period of private‑jet travel, and luxury car and real‑estate purchases that prosecutors say were funded through a Ponzi scheme.
asserted
prosecutors → appear → scheme
The 27‑year‑old Pleterski has pleaded not guilty to defrauding investors and money laundering.
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Pleterski → plead → investors
Singh explained how he was drawn into the young man’s orbit through word-of-mouth about the eye-popping gains Pleterski was reportedly making for others.
uncertain
Pleterski → explain → others
Aiden Pleterski, 27, the so-called Crypto King, has pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering.
asserted
Pleterski → call → fraud
Aiden Pleterski, 27, the so-called Crypto King, has pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering.
asserted
Pleterski → call → fraud
After meeting Pleterski and two other investors at a Pickering restaurant in the spring of 2021, Singh initially handed over $10,000.
asserted
Singh → meet → 10,000
But he kept increasing his contributions as Pleterski’s updates portrayed his funds as performing exceptionally well in the money markets.
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updates → keep → markets
Jurors were shown a series of contracts outlining terms that promised biweekly capital gains of 10 to 20 per cent, with one‑third of any profit going to Pleterski.
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one‑third → show → Pleterski
Singh ultimately committed far more money than any investor who has testified so far.
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who → commit → investor
By November that year, after investing $1.6 million, Singh withdrew $700,000, but continued to invest with Pleterski, “after he showed performance,” Singh said.
“If you knew that the source of that $700,000 was just your previous investments — so the money you’d already given Mr. Pleterski — would you have continued to invest with him?” Crown attorney Scott Patterson asked.
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Patterson → invest → him
“No,” Singh said.
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Singh → say → ?
He continued to receive regular updates from Pleterski, whom he named “Aiden Banker” on WhatsApp.
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he → continue → WhatsApp
Patterson scrolled through some of their digital communication.
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Patterson → scroll → communication
“Made 7.11 per cent last week boys … account this weekend is sitting at $148,560.48.
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account → make → 148,560.48
That’s including the $50,000 deposited this week which is good to go for Monday,” Pleterski wrote at one point.
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Pleterski → include → point
“To the moon,” Singh responded, while telling Pleterski he plans to send another $90,000 his way.
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he → respond → 90,000
Pleterski, meanwhile, told Singh he opened a bank account, specifically for him to easily transfer funds, “because I was one of the largest investors,” Singh testified.
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Singh → tell → investors
When the ‘Crypto King’ stopped delivering
Everything appeared to be going as planned, with Singh believing “everyone is making money,” until Pleterski sent a text blast to investors in December warning them that he was running into some difficulties with his broker’s “processing” times.
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he → stop → times
Over the next few months, Singh lost confidence in Pleterski.
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Singh → lose → Pleterski
Jurors heard several phone calls Singh secretly recorded with Pleterski in the spring of 2022, capturing the young man sounding increasingly cornered as he claimed he couldn’t access funds from a crypto account where the money was “frozen and stuck.”
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money → hear → account
Singh told the jury that by that point he was pressing for answers.
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he → tell → answers
“I’m not getting proof our money is where it’s supposed to be,” he said, describing one of their conversations, his voice audibly strained in the recording.
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voice → get → recording
Pleterski’s then right-hand man, Mitchell Learning, sent Singh a video purporting to show Pleterski had $311 million in the trading account.
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Pleterski → send → account
The prosecution alleges the money didn’t exist and was a product of Pleterski’s digital manipulation.
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money → allege → manipulation
(Learning testified last week that while he was, for a short time, on Pleterski’s payroll, he too was a victim who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.)
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who → testify → dollars
After Singh finished answering Patterson’s questions, Justice Shaun Nakatsuru asked Pleterski if he intended to cross examine the witness.
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he → finish → witness
“I don’t have the legal knowledge to challenge the evidence of his testimony,” Pleterski said echoing other comments he has made about his lack of legal prowess.
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he → have → prowess
The trial resumes Friday.
asserted
trial → resume → ?
The Aporia
