Crypto King Aiden Pleterski describes kidnapping, mock execution in Toronto trial
Convicted fraudster Aiden Pleterski testified about his abduction near Fort York in December 2022, saying he feared for his life during days of violence and threats.
Crypto King testifies: abducted near Fort York, waterboarded, and threatened with fentanyl
Convicted fraudster Aiden Pleterski took the witness stand Friday in Toronto and spent the day calmly recounting what he describes as a brutal multi-day kidnapping in December 2022 — including a mock execution and waterboarding — allegedly orchestrated by a former investor who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in his cryptocurrency scheme. Toronto Sun Crime reports the testimony came in the trial of Akil Heywood, the alleged mastermind of the abduction, and two co-accused.
Before answering a single question, Pleterski, 27, read a prepared statement invoking Section 5.2 of the Canada Evidence Act, objecting to any answers that might incriminate him or establish civil liability, while also invoking the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Unlike the American Fifth Amendment, however, Canadian witnesses cannot refuse to testify outright, and Pleterski proceeded.
Pickup on Ordinance Street
On Dec. 5, 2022, Pleterski said he believed he was meeting a man he knew only as "Slime" to discuss converting cryptocurrency into cash. He was instead picked up in a grey Dodge Ram on Ordinance Street near Fort York. He identified the driver as Alfredo Paladino, 26, and a backseat passenger as Rakeem Henry, 26, whom he knew by the nicknames "Rax" and "Stax."
As the vehicle headed west toward Hamilton, "Slime" produced a silver pistol and showed Pleterski the .22 calibre bullets inside the magazine — a Tech-9, Pleterski said he recognized from years of playing Call of Duty as a teenager. Henry pulled down a ski mask and placed a black firearm on his lap, describing the rounds as "iron bullets. They'll f— you up."
"You stole a bunch of money," "Slime" told him. "Where's the money, where's the money?"
Shortly after, "Slime" took a phone call. Pleterski said he recognized the voice on the other end immediately as Heywood's: "Where the f— is my money, pussy? You're either going to pay with your money or you're going to pay with your life."
Mock execution in a field near Smithville
Pleterski was driven to a field near Smithville, Ontario, where he was ordered to his knees. "Slime" pointed a gun at his head, counting down from ten while demanding money. As Pleterski screamed and begged for his life, the kidnapper fired a shot directly beside his head.
"I was scared for my life," Pleterski told the court. "Scared I was going to die."
A video of the mock execution — with his captors audibly laughing in the background — was played for the jury. Pleterski identified himself, Paladino and Henry in the footage.
As dawn broke, "Slime" announced that Pleterski "needs to be waterboarded." Paladino held his ankles while Henry covered his face with a towel as water was poured over him on the truck's tailgate.
"It actually felt like I was drowning," Pleterski recalled.
Pickering safe house and fentanyl threat
Pleterski was then transported to a home in Pickering, hooded, as Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" played on the radio. There, a man told him he had flown in from Europe and claimed Pleterski owed him $5 to $6 million.
"He made threats that he was going to inject me with fentanyl while pressing something against my vein," Pleterski said.
His eyes swollen, face bruised, and his Harvard sweatshirt bloodstained, Pleterski was eventually made to record a 12-minute confession video in which he admitted to losing $45 million in a single month and promised to repay investors before spending money on watches or cars.
"The last thing I want to say to all the investors and all the creditors is everything that happened is my fault," he said in the video, which was played in court. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to or mean to ruin anybody's life."
The accused and the ransom demand
Heywood, 42, allegedly invested between $300,000 and $400,000 with Pleterski and later served as an inspector in the bankruptcy proceedings against him. He is charged with orchestrating the kidnapping scheme. Co-accused Paladino and Henry have both pleaded not guilty alongside Heywood.
In a frantic attempt to secure his release, Pleterski said he contacted two wealthy acquaintances for ransom money, including his landlord, Toronto hotelier Sandeep Gupta. He said his captors coached him to claim Gupta was hiding assets on his behalf and to demand between $2 and $3 million — a story Pleterski acknowledged was fabricated.
Pleterski's testimony is scheduled to continue Monday.
Source: Toronto Sun Crime