Canada's 19-year-old boy was arrested for obtaining $13 million for dangerous driving through encryption fraud after the entire case was exposed

According to the New York Times, Canadian man Trenton Johnston pleaded guilty in the federal court in Florida, U.S., admitting to participating in a conspiracy to money laundering involving approximately US$13 million and the source of funds was cryptocurrency fraud. Prosecution documents show that Johnston pretended to be a representative of Google and encryption companies for two years to induce victims to surrender account access rights, and conspired with his accomplices to transfer and hide illegal gains for luxury consumption, including luxury cars, jewelry, and nightclub consumption. and private jet travel. In March 2024, he was stopped by the police for speeding while driving a Rolls-Royce in Miami. The car was suspected to have the smell of marijuana and illegal drugs, which triggered a follow-up investigation and revealed his long-term participation in encryption fraud. The case also revealed that he had defrauded a California resident of approximately 185 bitcoins (worth approximately $13 million) through social workers. FBI data shows that cryptocurrency-related theft losses in 2025 will exceed US$11 billion, a year-on-year increase of about 20%. Currently, Johnston, as a first-time offender, has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and is expected to face four to five years in prison and be deported to Canada.