Canadian Sentenced to 25 Months in Case Tied to 185 Bitcoin (BTC) Theft

Trenton Johnston was sentenced to 25 months in prison after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy tied to a scheme that stole 185 Bitcoin (BTC), then worth about $13 million, from a California resident.

The sentence was imposed Oct. 26. Johnston also was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $13.1 million in joint and several restitution. The stipulated sentencing range was 51 to 63 months. Prosecutors sought a reduced sentence, citing Johnston’s substantial assistance in investigations and prosecutions of others.

On March 13, 2026, the victim received a call displaying “Google” as the caller ID. The caller claimed someone was trying to change the victim’s email password. After checking his inbox, the victim found signs of tampering, including a message he had not sent asking Trezor to close his account.

A second caller claiming to represent Trezor warned that someone was trying to access the victim’s crypto account and told him not to connect the device to a computer. The caller sent a text link. The victim entered the private keys for a Trezor wallet and another cold wallet, and both wallets were emptied.

The broader scheme caused about $13.041 million in losses. It involved Johnston and co-conspirators impersonating Google and cryptocurrency company support staff to target victims in New York, California and Florida from January 2024 through March 24, 2026.

The indictment attributed a March 13 Signal message to Johnston: “We actually smacked a 185btc target today.” A $310,000 payment for a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ occurred March 14, the following day. The Lamborghini purchase was funded with proceeds from the broader fraud, but the $310,000 payment was not specifically linked to the 185 BTC theft.

Johnston pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. Prosecutors withdrew a wire fraud conspiracy charge under the plea agreement. The 25-month term was below the agreement’s stipulated sentencing range.