A 20-year-old Canadian pleaded guilty to laundering $13M in stolen crypto after phishing Coinbase and Trezor users. He spent the funds on a Lamborghini, private jets, and Miami real estate.
A 20-year-old Canadian national admitted to federal money laundering charges this week after stealing more than $13 million in cryptocurrency through a phishing scheme that targeted Coinbase and Trezor users. Trenton Richard David Johnston entered his guilty plea Tuesday in a US District Court in Florida, roughly a month after a federal grand jury indicted him.
Prosecutors said confirmed victim losses top $13 million, with more victims still coming forward. Johnston and his accomplices started the operation in early 2024. In February of that year, he posed as a Google employee and told a victim their email and Coinbase accounts were compromised. That first scam netted about $41,000 in Ether.
The big score came a few weeks later. Johnston and his crew impersonated customer service reps from Google and Trezor, convincing a California victim that someone was trying to break into their crypto wallet. After the victim handed over access credentials, Johnston pulled out roughly $13 million in Bitcoin.
These social engineering attacks rely on psychological manipulation, not technical hacking. Security researchers say the tactics are spreading in crypto circles because digital asset transactions are fast and nearly impossible to reverse.
Johnston crossed into the US from Canada through the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, Ontario, in October 2024. He was 18 at the time. He overstayed his visa and settled in the Miami area without authorization.
Over eight weeks, he burned through about $1.2 million of the stolen funds. He worked with Brandon Tardibone, who ran an exotic car rental business, to lease a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ and two BMWs. Other spending included a private jet charter, a North Miami rental, expensive jewelry, and airline tickets for associates.
Tardibone also pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges tied to money laundering. Prosecutors recommended a sentence of 27 to 33 months for his role.
Johnston's run ended in March when a Miami-Dade officer pulled him over for speeding in a Rolls-Royce. The officer smelled marijuana, spotted cannabis products inside, and found 21 amphetamine tablets in a Hermès handbag. Police seized his phone, computer, and handwritten notes that linked him to the fraud. Occupants in the vehicle told officers Johnston made his money scamming crypto holders.
Under the plea deal, Johnston agreed to cooperate fully with authorities and to be deported to Canada. He surrendered roughly 53.16 Bitcoin and 275.23 Ether, worth about $3.7 million at current prices. Prosecutors recommended a sentence of 51 to 63 months.
A sentencing date has not been set.
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