Toronto jury convicts Aiden Pleterski of fraud over $5,000

A Toronto jury returned a guilty verdict Thursday morning in the fraud case against Aiden Pleterski, finding him liable for fraud involving more than $5,000. The deliberations began at 10:30 a.m. and concluded just before noon.

Pleterski, who represented himself at trial, will be placed under house arrest while awaiting sentencing. His parents, who attended the hearing, will serve as his sureties.

Crown prosecutor Akshay Aurora addressed the jury, stating, "Mr. Pleterski was no 'Crypto King.' He stole investor money using calculated lies and spent a large portion of the funds on personal expenses."

Court records showed that Pleterski received over $36 million from investors for a trading platform that was never funded. According to the Crown, $16.3 million was spent on personal items and $16.1 million was returned to investors as alleged profits.

A second charge of money laundering was withdrawn by the Crown at the close of its case. Pleterski’s request for a mistrial was denied earlier in the week, with Justice Shaun Nakatsuru noting that Pleterski had limited participation in the defense, including cross-examining only one of 14 witnesses and providing no evidence.

In a brief closing statement, Pleterski told the jury, "I am the least qualified person here to give a closing statement, but I am innocent of these charges."

Justice Nakatsuru affirmed the trial’s fairness, adding that nothing observed altered his view of the proceedings. Pleterski is scheduled to return to court on November 13 for sentencing arrangements.