Trenton Johnston Sentenced in $13M Crypto Scam

Trenton Johnston has been sentenced in Miami for his role in a cryptocurrency laundering scheme involving more than $13 million in stolen funds, according to International Business Times UK and CryptoNews. Investigators linked the 20-year-old Canadian to fake support calls and demonstrations of his theft methods on Discord.

Scheme and Discord Demonstrations

Prosecutors stated that the scammers impersonated support representatives from Google and hardware wallet provider Trezor to gain access to victims' wallets. A witness told investigators that Johnston shared his screen on Discord to demonstrate his theft methods. In one instance, a California resident lost 185 Bitcoin, worth nearly $13 million at the time, after receiving calls from individuals posing as Google and Trezor representatives. Court documents cited a message where Johnston wrote to an accomplice that they had "smacked a 185btc target today."

Surrendered Assets and Plea Agreement

Defense lawyer Brooke C. Watson stated that Johnston handed over approximately $3.8 million in Bitcoin and Ether after his arrest and quickly admitted his conduct. Johnston pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, receiving time served on Oct. 26. Prosecutors cited his substantial assistance in investigations involving other individuals and sought the dismissal of a separate wire fraud conspiracy charge under the plea agreement.

Key facts

• Trenton Johnston received time served on Oct. 26 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
• The cryptocurrency laundering scheme involved more than $13 million in stolen funds.
• Johnston surrendered approximately $3.8 million in cryptocurrency following his arrest.
• Investigators linked the operation to fake support calls impersonating Google and Trezor.