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 beginning Monday after an Ontario Superior Court judge refused to postpone the proceedings.
Justice Shaun Nakatsuru denied Pleterski's adjournment application, which sought to delay the trial so he could hire legal counsel. The judge indicated he would take an enhanced role to ensure fairness, raising objections on Pleterski's behalf to prevent inadmissible evidence from reaching the jury.
Pleterski retained lawyer Marco Sciarra for the adjournment hearing, arguing that he had been attempting to raise funds for trial counsel and that extended family members were prepared to liquidate assets to pay for representation if the case were delayed. Crown attorney Scott Patterson countered that Pleterski had not been "honest and genuine with his attempts to obtain counsel," noting that neither the relatives nor the assets were identified to the court.
The four-week jury trial addresses charges of fraud over $5,000 and laundering proceeds of crime. Pleterski was charged in May 2024 following a joint investigation by Durham Regional Police and the Ontario Securities Commission described as the force's largest fraud inquiry.
According to court proceedings, investors provided Pleterski approximately $40 million to trade cryptocurrency and foreign exchange. Bankruptcy proceedings initiated in summer 2022 have recovered roughly $3 million distributed among about 160 investors. Trustee Grant Thornton found that Pleterski invested less than 2 percent of the funds while spending nearly $16 million on himself, a finding Pleterski disputes.
An associate, Colin Murphy, was also charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Pleterski has denied all allegations, which have not been proven in court.
