Trenton Johnston Returns Home After Court Credits His Help Catching Other Crypto Con Artists

Trenton Richard Johnston, a 20-year-old Canadian citizen, was sentenced to time served on Monday, October 26, by a U.S. federal judge in Miami. The ruling concludes his federal case after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Johnston has been in U.S. custody since his arrest in March of this year.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Johnston, who moved to the Miami area in 2024, deceived cryptocurrency holders by posing as Google tech support staff and representatives of crypto firms. He persuaded victims to provide access codes to their digital wallets. In a single incident in March, Johnston and an unnamed co-conspirator took 185 bitcoin from a California man, an amount valued at approximately $13 million US at the time.

Court documents detail Johnston’s lavish spending habits during the scheme. Prosecutors listed a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, two BMWs, jewelry, and a private jet rental among his purchases. A witness stated that Johnston openly shared his screen on Discord to demonstrate the theft method to others. Johnston was arrested in North Miami while seated in the back of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV.

Defense attorney Brooke C. Watson noted in a court filing that Johnston surrendered all stolen cryptocurrency in his possession, totaling roughly $3.8 million US in bitcoin and ether. Watson described Johnston as deeply sorry for his actions. Federal prosecutors dropped a wire fraud conspiracy charge as part of the plea deal. They cited Johnston’s substantial assistance in the investigation of other individuals.

Johnston entered the United States from Fort Erie, Ontario, into Buffalo, New York, in October 2024 at age 18. He overstayed his 12-month tourist visa. A filing revealed last week that the fraud scheme began in January 2024, when Johnston was 17. His parents, identified as a mechanic and a hair stylist, had their names redacted from court records.

Johnston still faces a separate Florida state charge for drug possession related to suspected amphetamine pills found in a Hermes bag during his arrest. He has agreed to a removal order issued by a U.S. immigration judge in April. He is expected to be handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation to Canada.