185 Bitcoin: Court Sentences Canadian to Time Served in $13 Million Crypto Case
A 20-year-old who drained a California man's savings and spent lavishly in Miami will not serve additional prison time.
By Tyler Khalil ·
A federal judge in Miami sentenced Canadian citizen Trenton Richard David Johnston to time served on Monday, October 26, closing a case that involved the theft of 185 bitcoin, then worth about $13 million US, from a California resident's savings. Johnston, 20, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He has been in custody since his March arrest and will not serve additional time under the sentence imposed.
Court documents show Johnston and an unnamed accomplice took the 185 bitcoin in March. In a text message quoted in a criminal complaint filed in Miami, Johnston told his partner, "We actually smacked a 185btc target today." He added, "Club feels mad good after today" and "And we ain't done."
Investigators with U.S. Homeland Security determined that Johnston posed as Google tech support personnel and as staff for cryptocurrency firms to obtain wallet codes from victims. Prosecutors described an "extravagant nightlife and entertainment lifestyle" in the Miami area, where Johnston settled in 2024. Purchases listed in court filings include a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, two BMWs, jewelry and a private jet rental. A witness told investigators Johnston demonstrated the theft method to others by sharing his screen on Discord.
Johnston was 19 when he was arrested in March, seated in the back of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV. He surrendered $3.8 million US in stolen bitcoin and ether after the arrest. His defense lawyer, Brooke C. Watson, wrote in a court filing that "Mr. Johnston quickly admitted his conduct and is tremendously sorry for what he has done." Federal prosecutors dropped a wire fraud conspiracy charge in exchange for the money laundering plea, and later noted he provided "substantial assistance in the investigation and prosecution" of other unnamed individuals.
A filing last week showed the scheme started in January 2024, when Johnston was 17. He crossed from Fort Erie, Ontario, into Buffalo, New York, in October 2024 at age 18 and remained past his 12-month tourist visa. A removal order issued by a U.S. immigration judge in April remains in effect, and he has agreed to it.
Johnston still faces a Florida state drug possession charge concerning suspected amphetamine pills found in an Hermes bag during his arrest in North Miami. The date of his release from custody is not set. Under the removal order, he is expected to be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for return to Canada.
