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Canadian ‘crypto king’ case to go to jury as criminal trial winds down

Aiden Pleterski, a self-described “crypto king” in Canada, faces fraud charges over his alleged role in a digital asset Ponzi scheme, and the case will go to jury deliberations after closing arguments. Pleterski told the court he is innocent, saying he was forced to represent himself and that his innocence would otherwise have been proven. According to CBC, the jury will begin deliberating Thursday after receiving final instructions from Justice Shaun Nakatsuru. He is accused of defrauding about $30 million from social media followers between 2021 and 2022, was charged in 2024, and had waited more than two years for trial; a fraud conviction could bring up to 14 years in prison. Separately, five men, some reportedly victims of the scheme, were charged with kidnapping and torturing him in 2022, and one of them, Deren Akyeam-Pong, pleaded guilty to nine charges and awaits sentencing.

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