MIAMI, Florida — A Canadian man and his alleged co-conspirator have been indicted for their involvement in a cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering scheme that resulted in over $13 million in losses.
Trenton Richard David Johnston, a 19-year-old from Canada, is accused of operating a sophisticated fraud scheme while unlawfully residing in the Miami area, according to court documents. Johnston, along with other co-conspirators, allegedly impersonated support representatives from a popular search engine and cryptocurrency-related companies to gain unauthorized access to victims’ digital accounts and cryptocurrency wallets. Once access was obtained, the conspirators reportedly transferred the victims’ cryptocurrency holdings for their own benefit, with losses exceeding $13 million, according to the indictment.
Brandon Michael Tardibone, a 28-year-old from Miami, is accused of knowingly harboring Johnston by providing him lodging at a luxury Miami-area residence to evade immigration authorities. Johnston and Tardibone are also charged with laundering the proceeds of the fraud scheme through financial transactions designed to conceal the nature and source of the funds. The indictment alleges that they used over $1 million in illicit proceeds to lease luxury vehicles, purchase high-end jewelry, and finance an extravagant lifestyle…