Teen crypto scammer stole $13M to splurge on private jets, Lambo
A Canadian teen, Trenton Richard Johnston, pleaded guilty in a US crypto-money-laundering case after prosecutors said he helped steal over $13 million through social engineering scams. The scheme used impersonation of Google, Trezor, and other crypto-related support staff to trick victims into revealing access to wallets and accounts. One victim lost about $41,000 in Ether, while another in California was drained of about $13 million in Bitcoin. Johnston allegedly spent roughly $1.2 million on a flashy lifestyle in Miami and Los Angeles, including luxury cars, rentals, a private jet, a rental house, and travel for women. He was arrested after a traffic stop in March, and investigators recovered devices and notes linking him to the fraud. In exchange for cooperation, prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of about 51 to 63 months.
