Stewart Wilson described his experience visiting Aiden Pleterski, known as the “Crypto King,” at his luxurious lakefront mansion in Burlington five years ago as something out of a television show. Wilson recounted the extravagant property, estimating its value at around $8 million, and expressed disbelief when Pleterski claimed to have purchased it.
Wilson, who invested $890,000 with Pleterski, testified in court as one of the three investors summoned by the Crown on the second day of Pleterski’s trial in Toronto. Pleterski faces charges of fraud over $5,000 and money laundering.
According to the Crown’s allegations, Pleterski assured investors that their funds, handed over between July 2020 and July 2022, would be traded but never actually invested. Instead, it is claimed that Pleterski spent the money on luxury items for himself, including exotic cars, private jet flights, extravagant shopping sprees, and settling million-dollar credit card bills.
Before Wilson’s visit to Pleterski’s mansion in November 2021, he encountered Pleterski at his luxury car rental business, GTA Exotics. Initially renting an Audi R8, Pleterski eventually upgraded to leasing high-end sports cars like Lamborghinis and a McLaren. Wilson noticed Pleterski’s growing success through social media and decided to invest with him after learning that his friends and family were also investing and receiving returns.
During their meeting, Pleterski shared details with Wilson about his opulent lifestyle, mentioning a monthly mortgage of $49,000 and showcasing luxury cars like Lamborghinis and a McLaren at his residence. Pleterski claimed that the investment fund he managed had grown to between $30 million and $50 million.
Impressed by the opportunity and feeling comfortable with the investment process, Wilson signed multiple contracts, totaling $890,000, between November 2021 and February 2022. The investment contracts included guarantees for the return of the principal amount if lost over time.
Despite initial promising returns on investments, Wilson later attempted to withdraw some of his funds in March but was misled by Pleterski with promises of repayment that never materialized. Pleterski, representing himself in court, remained silent during Wilson’s testimony and chose not to cross-examine another investor.
Additional investors, Neville Thompson and Braden Martyniuk, testified that they entrusted Pleterski with over $200,000 each for foreign exchange trading, based on similar investment contracts promising the safety of their principal amounts. Martyniuk mentioned Pleterski’s claim of a $300 million fund to safeguard clients’ money, which he believed was accumulated from previous cryptocurrency investments.
Pleterski’s trial continues, with more investors expected to provide testimony on Thursday.
