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BTC Aiden Pleterski, 27, who calls himself Canada's Crypto King, will appear in court Monday in Toronto to defend himself against fraud and money laundering charges in a jury trial next Monday in Toronto. Earlier, a judge denied his application for an adjournment. [TAG
Ontario Superior Court Judge Shaun Nakatsuru denied the motion for an extension Monday, CBC News reported. This means Pleterski will attend a four-week trial, scheduled for June 2025, without legal representation.
"I want to assure you that although this is not your first choice, you will undoubtedly receive a fair trial," Judge Nakatsuru told him. The judge added: "I want you to be free to ask questions." He further instructed: "Don't hesitate, stand up and ask me directly."
In view of this situation, the judge elaborated on the "enhanced role" he would take. He said he would raise objections on his behalf to ensure that only testimony that complied with the rules of evidence was presented before the jury.
However, Pleterski did hire a lawyer for the extension application. His lawyer Marco Sciarra argued that his client had been trying to raise funds to hire litigation lawyers and said distant relatives were ready to liquidate assets to pay for the costs if there was an opportunity for an extension. However, the identities and specific assets of these relatives were not disclosed to the court.
Prosecution prosecutor Scott Patterson seized on this to refute, pointing out that Pleterski "failed to remain honest and sincere" in seeking legal representation. Judge Nakatsuru did not give specific reasons for the decision to refuse the extension.
Pleterski was indicted in May 2024 on charges involving fraud and money laundering exceeding $5000. The case stems from an investigation conducted jointly by the Durham Regional Police and the Ontario Securities Commission that police called one of the largest fraud investigations in history.
His associate Colin Murphy was also charged with one count of fraud exceeding $5000. In February, Murphy was sentenced to five months in prison for contempt of court for refusing to hand over the iPhone and subsequently erasing the data during a civil search. He was released in March pending the outcome of his appeal.
Pleterski denied all charges, which have not yet been confirmed in court. Back in the summer of 2022, Pleterski was forced into bankruptcy as investors tried to recover about C$40 million-money he had been given to him for trading cryptocurrencies and foreign exchange. In the end, Grant Thornton, the trust, returned approximately C$3 million to approximately 160 investors. The agency's investigation found that Pleterski invested less than 2% of his money, while he himself spent nearly C$16 million, which Pleterski disagreed.
At the end of 2022, Pleterski was kidnapped and tortured. The kidnapper demanded a ransom of 3 million Canadian dollars, but by this time he was penniless. Last year, one of the people accused of participating in the kidnapping pleaded guilty.
