Teen con artist spends $3.8 million in stolen crypto on luxury cars and private jet

Trenton Johnston pleaded guilty to a U.S. money laundering conspiracy on Monday and was sentenced to time served by a federal judge in Miami. The 20-year-old Canadian citizen surrendered approximately 3.8 million dollars worth of stolen cryptocurrency to authorities. This amount included bitcoin and ether recovered from his possession after his arrest in March.

Johnston began his scheme in January 2024 while he was 17 years old. He entered the United States from Fort Erie, Ontario, to Buffalo, New York, in October 2024 on a 12-month tourist visa but remained in the country past its expiration. He moved to the Miami area that year. Investigators found that he impersonated Google tech support staff and representatives of cryptocurrency firms to trick victims into sharing their wallet codes. In one specific instance in March, he and an unnamed co-conspirator swindled a California victim out of 185 bitcoin. At the time, that cryptocurrency was valued at roughly 13 million dollars.

Court documents describe a lavish lifestyle funded by the thefts. Johnston purchased a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, two BMWs, jewelry, and rented a private jet. He did not attempt to conceal his methods, sharing his screen on the social platform Discord to demonstrate the thefts to others. A witness told investigators that Johnston displayed how he carried out the scams during these screen shares.

Brooke C. Watson, Johnston's defense lawyer, submitted a court filing stating that her client quickly admitted to his conduct. Watson wrote that Johnston is tremendously sorry for what he has done. The legal team also provided photos of Johnston growing up in Canada, though his specific hometown and his parents' names were redacted from the documents. His father is a mechanic and his mother is a hair stylist. Watson did not respond to requests for information regarding Johnston's home province.

Federal prosecutors agreed to drop a wire fraud conspiracy charge as part of the plea deal. In exchange, Johnston admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Prosecutors noted that he provided substantial assistance in the investigation and prosecution of other unnamed individuals. Without the plea deal, he faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted on both counts.

Johnston was arrested in North Miami in March while sitting in the back of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV. Court records state the vehicle smelled of freshly burned marijuana. Investigators found suspected amphetamine tablets in a Hermes bag during the arrest. He still faces a separate drug possession charge from Florida state prosecutors related to those pills.

Johnston agreed to a removal order issued by a U.S. immigration judge in April. He is expected to be handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation to Canada. The exact date of his release from custody remains unclear.