Aiden Pleterski Testifies He Was Kidnapped and Beaten

Aiden Pleterski, who called himself the “Crypto King,” testified at Ontario Superior Court in Toronto on November 13 that he had been kidnapped and beaten. According to Foresight News, citing CBC, Pleterski described being held for three days in early December 2022, during which he said he was beaten, waterboarded and threatened with a gun. The jury watched a video showing Pleterski on his knees pleading as a gunshot sounded near his ear. Akil Heywood, Alfredo Paladino and Rakeem Henry are charged with kidnapping and extortion; all three pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege that Heywood, a former investor, led the operation. Last month, Pleterski was convicted of defrauding investors of more than CAD 30 million. He has not yet been sentenced, and the trial is expected to continue.