A Canadian self-proclaimed “crypto king” who allegedly defrauded investors out of millions has been kidnapped, tortured, and held for a multi-million dollar ransom.
Aidan Pletersky, 23, accused of running a crypto investment scheme, was reportedly kidnapped from downtown Toronto and driven across southern Ontario for nearly three days while the kidnappers demanded at least $3 million in ransom. court documents Filed the claim earlier this month.
Details of the abduction were revealed in court papers and court examinations of Platsky’s father and landlord, with whom he was able to speak via mobile phone while in the kidnappers’ custody.
“They basically held her for about three days, drove her to different parts of Southern Ontario, beat her, tortured her, only allowed her to make specific phone calls to specific people. was not among those she was allowed to contact,” said her father.
Pleterski contacted his landlord and demanded $3 million while held captive. “I said, ‘There’s absolutely nothing I can do,'” his landlord said in court, when Platersky asked him to pay the multimillion-dollar ransom.
According to the documents, Pletersky was eventually released by the kidnappers near his landlord’s residence on the condition that he would bring the money fast.
Pleterski’s crypto investment plan
Court papers, released on March 14, also shed more light on Platsky’s crypto investment business, in which he told investors he would pool their money together and invest in cryptocurrency and forex positions.
However, the so-called “crypto king” invested less than 2% of his more than $40 million, according to court filings.
He spent about 38%, about $16 million, on his “personal lifestyle”, which included chartering private jets, going on elaborate vacations, and buying exotic vehicles such as “one Ferrari, four Audis, three Lamborghinis, three McLarens”. . A Land Rover, and a BMW.
Last August, Pleterski was petitioned in bankruptcy. Since the bankruptcy proceedings began, claims worth $25 million Canadian have been filed in his case.
Rob Stelzer, who was appointed bankruptcy trustee in the case, told CTV News Toronto, “Aiden ran a business in which he told people he would invest their money and he didn’t.” “He didn’t really do what he said he was going to do.”
Stelzer said he expected more people to file claims against Pletsky.
Meanwhile, in his testimony, Pletersky said that he started posting losses in 2021 after the crypto markets retreated from their all-time highs. He claimed that he wanted to make investors whole but bad market conditions kept his losses piling up.
“I was trying to make returns that clearly weren’t viable or necessary at the time, and that caused more damage,” he said.