Teen Who Helped Steal $13M in Bitcoin and Splurged on Lamborghini and Private Jets Is 'Tremendously Sorry,' Lawyer Says

A Canadian who helped steal about $13 million (£9.7 million) in bitcoin as a teenager and spent the proceeds on a Lamborghini, private jets, and jewellery is 'tremendously sorry', his lawyer told the federal court in Miami that sentenced him to time served on Monday, 26 October.

Trenton Richard David Johnston, now 20, 'quickly admitted his conduct,' defence lawyer Brooke C. Watson of Dynamis LLP wrote in a filing ahead of the hearing. The filing said he 'turned over all of the stolen cryptocurrency in his possession' after his arrest, approximately $3.8 million (£2.8 million) in bitcoin and ether.

The sentence covers the seven months he has spent in custody since March. When he pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, prosecutors recommended 51 to 63 months in prison under the plea agreement and dropped a wire fraud conspiracy charge. They later told the court he had provided 'substantial assistance in the investigation and prosecution' of others who have not been named.

The $3.8 million he surrendered is less than a third of the at least $13.04 million (£9.8 million) that court documents say was stolen. It was not immediately clear whether the court ordered restitution.

How the Bitcoin Scheme Worked

The fraud began in January 2024, when Johnston was 17, according to the defence filing. That October, aged 18, he crossed from Fort Erie, Ontario, into Buffalo, New York, on a 12-month tourist visa. He settled near Miami and stayed after it expired.

Investigators said Johnston and his co-conspirators posed as support staff for Google, wallet maker Trezor, and other crypto firms, convincing victims their accounts had been breached so they would hand over access codes.

In February 2026, one California victim lost about $41,000 (£30,700) in ether, according to a criminal complaint by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Ivan Sanchez.

The largest theft followed on 13 March. Working with an unnamed co-conspirator, Johnston targeted another California resident, who took calls from a fake Google employee and a fake Trezor representative, then shared the codes to two digital accounts. About 185 bitcoin, the victim's life savings, was drained, and the complaint said none of it had been recovered.

'We actually smacked a 185btc target today,' Johnston told the accomplice on the encrypted app Signal, according to the complaint. 'And we ain't done.'

Lamborghini, BMWs, and Private Jets

Prosecutors said the money paid for 'an extravagant nightlife and entertainment lifestyle.' Purchases listed in court documents include a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, two BMWs, jewellery, and a private jet rental.

Much of that spending was arranged by co-defendant Brandon Michael Tardibone, a 28-year-old Miami exotic car dealer. Transactions he handled, from Los Angeles car rentals to 'plane tickets for two girls from New York,' totalled $1.19 million (£890,000) over three months, according to Johnston's plea agreement. Prosecutors said Tardibone also housed Johnston at a luxury Miami-area residence to help him evade immigration authorities.

Tardibone pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy on the same day as Johnston, and prosecutors recommended 27 to 33 months for him. The outcome of his sentencing was not immediately clear.

From Traffic Stop to Federal Charges

The scheme surfaced after a sheriff's deputy pulled over a white Rolls-Royce Cullinan in North Miami. Johnston, in the back seat, was carrying 21 suspected amphetamine tablets in a Hermès bag, according to a sworn affidavit. He was arrested on a state drug charge on 24 March.

The three other people in the car told investigators he had no real job, had grown rich defrauding crypto holders, and was supporting them.

Agents seized his computer, phone, and handwritten notes holding crypto wallet codes. Federal charges followed in April, and a grand jury indicted him in May on wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, each carrying up to 20 years in prison.

Deportation to Canada Still Pending

It remains unclear when Johnston will be released. He still faces the Florida drug possession charge, and he accepted a removal order from a US immigration judge in April. He is expected to be handed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation, and his plea deal commits him to 'assist' in his own removal.