Aiden Pleterski, known as the “Crypto King,” is facing trial in Toronto for allegedly defrauding investors of over $40 million. The 26-year-old, donning a black Green Day T-shirt, appeared in Ontario Superior Court via video conference on Wednesday afternoon. The court has scheduled a four-week jury trial to commence on October 5, 2026.
Authorities claim that Pleterski misappropriated a significant portion of the funds entrusted to him by clients for investment in cryptocurrency and foreign currency markets. Allegedly, he splurged most of the money on luxury vehicles, vacations, and a lavish lakefront estate for his personal use. Pleterski has refuted the accusations against him.
Last year, Pleterski was charged with fraud and money laundering, marking the largest fraud investigation conducted by the Durham Regional Police. The police assert that Pleterski enticed investors with promises of substantial profits and assured them of no financial losses, but many investors could not access their funds, prompting them to report the matter to the authorities.
Complaints filed against Pleterski and his firm, AP Private Equity, in July 2022, led to a collaborative probe between the Durham police and the Ontario Securities Commission. During the investigation, Police Chief Peter Moreira declined to disclose the exact number of investors who had come forward.
Pleterski’s arrest last year was the culmination of a CBC Toronto investigation into his activities. Notably, one of his investors was apprehended for allegedly kidnapping Pleterski in December 2022. Additionally, NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander successfully sued to annul his $8.4 million purchase of the mansion previously owned by Pleterski.
Facing bankruptcy due to investor actions in the summer of 2022, Pleterski is also confronting charges of assault, forcible confinement, and uttering threats in an alleged incident of intimate partner violence. The charges, stemming from events involving a woman in Vaughan in January, have not yet been assigned a trial date.
