Aiden Pleterski, the 27-year-old who styled himself Canada's "Crypto King," will defend himself against fraud and money laundering charges at a Toronto jury trial starting Monday, after an Ontario judge refused to postpone it.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Shaun Nakatsuru denied an adjournment application, leaving Pleterski without counsel for a four-week trial whose dates were fixed in June 2025. "I want to assure you that even though this isn't your first choice, obviously, you will receive a fair trial," Nakatsuru told him, adding that he would take an enhanced role by raising objections on Pleterski's behalf so only admissible evidence reaches the jury.
Pleterski had retained lawyer Marco Sciarra for the adjournment application. Sciarra argued his client had been trying to raise money for trial counsel, and that extended family were prepared to liquidate assets to pay for one if the case were delayed. Crown attorney Scott Patterson argued Pleterski had not been "honest and genuine with his attempts to obtain counsel." The judge gave no reasons for the refusal.
Pleterski was charged in May 2024 with fraud over $5,000 and laundering the proceeds of crime, following a joint investigation by Durham Regional Police and the Ontario Securities Commission that police called their largest fraud inquiry. An associate, Colin Murphy, was charged with one count of fraud over $5,000 and was jailed for contempt after refusing to hand over his iPhone and then wiping it.
Investors handed Pleterski about $40 million to trade cryptocurrency and foreign exchange. Bankruptcy proceedings recovered roughly $3 million for some 160 investors. Trustee Grant Thornton found he had invested less than 2% of the money while spending nearly $16 million on himself, a finding Pleterski disputes. Pleterski was also kidnapped and tortured in late 2022, held for a $3 million ransom by men demanding money he no longer had.
