In a recent revelation, Canadian authorities have announced the arrest of an individual who was involved in kidnapping and violence. Notably, the victim of the harassment initiated a crypto scam and trapped several people into it.
According to local media reports, Canadian law enforcement agents have arrested Akil Heywood over allegations that he kidnapped, threatened, and beat Aiden Pleterski in December 2022. Pleterski, the self-proclaimed “Crypto King” supposedly orchestrated a crypto scam, draining over $40 million from investors.
The investigation reports show that Heywood invested $740,000 with Pleterski, making him one of the countless victims. Following the incident, in a recent video, the accused fraudster apologized to people who lost their saving and vowed to “live on the bare minimum” to repay the conned investors.
As per local media reports, Heywood is among the five people facing charges connected to the kidnapping and assault of Pleterski at the end of last year. Interestingly, Heywood, the complainant was also one of the individuals lured into a crypto investment scheme run by the latter and served as an inspector in the case’s bankruptcy proceedings. Such an event where the inspector is involved in kidnapping is very unseen and uncommon.
I’ve never seen a bankruptcy proceeding where an inspector is charged in a kidnapping and a forcible confinement related to recovering money in a bankruptcy.
Norman Groot, fraud recovery lawyer
According to sources, Heywood resigned as an inspector at Grant Thornton on July 7. While the investigation is ongoing, the Canadian authorities have released Heywood on bail.
Simultaneously, Micheal Simaan, Pleterski’s lawyer, said his client “is grateful for the work of the Toronto Police in apprehending those involved in his kidnapping and assault.” Notably, Pleterski warned about Heywood’s aggressive behavior two weeks before the abduction.
In an interview, Pleterski said that the accused kidnapper “is still, by the way, uttering threats, and very dangerous, violent threats, to me over Instagram comment sections and text messages.” Reportedly, the four other suspects accused of Pleterski’s kidnapping face additional charges, such as pointing a firearm at him. However, none of the claims have so far been tested in court.
Sources reveal that local media spread a video showing Pleterski regrets the losses caused to the investors. He appeared visibly beaten in the video while explaining that he started dealing with digital currencies in 2020 and in the following months, he offered his services to family, friends, and other individuals. He added that while the scheme worked perfectly during the crypto bull market, “everything went downhill” when prices started decreasing. Pletesrski said;
When the crypto market started to tank in November of 2021, I should have been honest with everybody. I lost enough to where my debts outweighed my assets … I lost close to $45 million strictly alone in the crypto market within one month.
Simultaneously, according to a bankruptcy report, the “Crypto King” used only $670,700 of the aforementioned sum as intended, whereas he spent approximately $16 million to fund his lavish lifestyle (going on vacations, renting private jets, and purchasing luxurious cars).
To this, Pleterski admitted employing some investor deposits toward car payments, food expenses, and house settlements. He added that he felt “very humiliated” and “embarrassed,” promising to work around the clock to reimburse victims:
I’m going to do it before I go and buy myself another car before I go and buy myself another watch before I go and buy myself expensive clothing or anything. I’m going to live on the bare minimum until every last soul is paid back.
While the video is taking rounds, Pleterski’s lawyer claimed that the information from the video should not be taken for granted as his client might have been forced to say those things by his kidnappers. Moreover, the alleged crypto scammer has insisted he is innocent.
However, it is important to note that this case highlights several concerns like violence, harassment and finances crimes together. As a rising trend, the cases of scams are eventually giving rise to violence, and this is not limited to any particular region.
In particular, Canada has also witnessed rising concerns of scams among crypto investors. As reported by Todayq News about a staggering 35% of Canadian cryptocurrency owners admitted to falling victim to fraudulent schemes or scams. This clearly paints the picture about a set of efficient and effective regulation required in the nation to curb such crimes.