A 20-year-old Canadian national pleaded guilty Tuesday in a Miami federal court to conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a cryptocurrency scam that netted more than $13 million. Trenton Johnston built a lavish lifestyle over two years by defrauding victims through impersonation and trickery, according to court documents.

Johnston was initially stopped in Miami in March while driving a Rolls-Royce and found to be in possession of amphetamines and cannabis. However, the traffic stop ultimately led to the unmasking of a broader fraud scheme. Prosecutors allege Johnston exploited the anonymity and rapid transfer capabilities of cryptocurrencies to steal millions by posing as a representative of Google and various crypto companies, gaining access to victim accounts and siphoning funds.

The stolen money financed luxury purchases, including a Lamborghini, multiple BMWs, expensive jewelry, private jet trips, and upscale rental properties. A Miami car dealer named Brandon Tardibone assisted Johnston in laundering the proceeds through a network of associates engaged in similar schemes. Tardibone also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to Homeland Security Investigations, Johnston overstayed a one-year visa granted upon his entry into the United States via Buffalo in October 2024 and was not authorized to work. Prior to this, he had orchestrated a high-value theft involving 185 Bitcoin from a California resident, worth roughly $13 million.

Court filings include a March conversation captured on Signal, the encrypted messaging app, wherein Johnston expressed enthusiasm over the sizeable theft. “We actually smacked a 185btc target today,” he wrote to an unidentified co-conspirator.

Johnston’s guilty plea allows him to avoid charges that could have carried up to 40 years in prison. Sentencing guidelines now call for a prison term of approximately four to five years. As part of the plea agreement, Johnston has agreed to cooperate with U.S. authorities and his eventual deportation to Canada. Whether he will serve his sentence in the United States or Canada remains undetermined. Court documents note that Johnston has no prior criminal record.

This case highlights ongoing challenges law enforcement faces as cryptocurrency-based crimes continue to grow. The FBI reported losses exceeding $11 billion to crypto theft in 2025 alone, based solely on complaints filed with the agency. Similar large-scale schemes have emerged elsewhere in the U.S., including a recent case involving over $200 million stolen by a group of young fraudsters in California.

Neither Johnston’s nor Tardibone’s legal representatives responded to requests for comment.