Trenton Johnston receives time-served sentence in crypto case
Key points
- Canadian Trenton Johnston received a time-served sentence after pleading guilty to money-laundering conspiracy linked to a cryptocurrency theft scheme.
- Investigators linked the scheme to at least $13.04 million in stolen cryptocurrency, while Johnston surrendered approximately $3.8 million.
- The case involved impersonation scams targeting cryptocurrency holders, luxury spending and a co-defendant accused of helping launder proceeds.
Trenton Johnston, 20, has been sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to money-laundering conspiracy linked to a cryptocurrency theft scheme, according to International Business Times.
The scheme allegedly stole at least $13.04 million in cryptocurrency by impersonating support staff from Google, Trezor and other companies.
Johnston’s lawyer Brooke C. Watson wrote that he “quickly admitted his conduct” in a filing before sentencing.
Johnston surrendered approximately $3.8 million in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) after his March 2026 arrest.
The theft included around 185 Bitcoin taken from a California victim on 13 March, according to court documents.
Prosecutors linked the proceeds to luxury spending, including a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, two BMWs, jewellery and private jet rentals.
Co-defendant Brandon Michael Tardibone pleaded guilty to money-laundering conspiracy, while prosecutors recommended a prison term of 27 to 33 months.
Johnston’s sentence covers approximately seven months in custody, while a separate Florida drug charge and deportation proceedings remain unresolved.
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