Investor Who Lost $740,000 To Ontario’s Crypto King Among 5 Men Accused Of Kidnapping Him

A Toronto investor who lost thousands to Ontario’s self-proclaimed Crypto King is one of five men charged in connection with the alleged kidnapping, incarceration and assault of Aiden Pleterski last December, CBC Toronto has learned.

CBC Toronto previously reported details of Pleterski’s alleged kidnapping based on a report of pending bankruptcy proceedings against the 24-year-old. In the bankruptcy, investors have been working for nearly a year to try and track down more than $40 million given to Pleterski to invest in crypto and foreign exchange.

Akil Heywood has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping Pleterski and for threatening the bankruptcy trustee overseeing the bankruptcy in an attempt to get $2 million worth of crypto, according to court documents.

On the same day CBC Toronto learned of those allegations, CBC reporters received an edited 12-minute video showing a visibly beaten Pleterski explaining what he believes happened to the money he was given and apologizing to investors .

Pleterski’s attorney, Micheal Simaan, told CBC Toronto that neither he nor his client have seen the full video, so Pleterski can’t really comment on it.

“All [Pleterski] can say is that while some of it is correct, he was forced to say much of it by his captors,” Simaan said in an email.

“Aiden is grateful for the Toronto Police Service’s work in arresting those involved in his kidnapping and assault.”

Toronto police would not verify the video or comment on the investigation.

Heywood was arrested on July 5 and charged with kidnapping Pleterski against his will, kidnapping with intent to hold him for ransom, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and imprisoning Pleterski on or about December 5, 2022. He has since been released on bail.

The 39-year-old is also accused of threatening Grant Thornton’s trustee, Rob Stelzer, to get him to pay $2 million in crypto later that month and faces the same charge involving another man in the case .

A trustee is a federally regulated professional responsible for examining the finances of an individual or company that has gone bankrupt and administering their estate.

Heywood says he is innocent

Heywood declined an interview request or to answer questions for this story, but told CBC Toronto he is innocent.

Heywood was named in August 2022 as one of five inspectors chosen by other investors to represent their interests in the bankruptcy proceedings. He and the Atlantic Mas Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Heywood, invested $740,000 with Pleterski, according to court records.

A court motion in the bankruptcy case states “major decisions of the trustee must be approved by the inspectors, similar to how major management decisions are approved by a board of directors” and the trustee gives the inspectors the details of all aspects of their strategy and activities.

“I have never seen a bankruptcy proceeding where an inspector is charged with kidnapping and forced confinement in connection with getting money back in a bankruptcy,” says fraud recovery attorney Norman Groot, who represents some of the investors.

“Mr Heywood would have been aware of the details of the research that Grant Thornton was conducting – and always worried, ‘Is that information going to be used for their own purposes outside of the bankruptcy proceedings?'”

In an email, a spokesperson for Grant Thornton said Heywood resigned as superintendent in Pleterski’s bankruptcy on July 7.

“We have worked with the police and maintained open lines of communication,” said Lindsay Barnes. “We cannot comment further as this is an active investigation.”

Pleterski spotted threats within weeks of the alleged kidnapping

Less than two weeks before Pleterski was reportedly kidnapped, he was interviewed for bankruptcy on November 24, 2022.

During the interview, Pleterski told the trustee’s representative that “Akil [Heywood] by the way, is still making threats, and very dangerous, violent threats, via Instagram comment sections and text messages.

Pleterski’s attorney told CBC Toronto that while Pleterski “wishes his concerns were taken more seriously by the trustee, he also recognizes the difficult role they have to play in satisfying many parties whose interests often conflict.”

“Having said that, he certainly hopes that the events of the past few days will help the curator gain a greater understanding of Aiden’s concerns, and hopefully not jump to conclusions about the reasons behind Aiden’s actions,” Simaan said.

Simaan also said his client “looks forward to the fairest completion of the bankruptcy process for all parties involved.”

Heywood is one of five men facing dozens of charges related to Pleterski’s alleged kidnapping in December. Some of the other men were charged with additional crimes, including aiming a firearm at Pleterski, firing a firearm in a manner reckless for Pleterski’s life or safety, and for allegedly assaulting him.

None of the allegations related to the alleged kidnapping have been tested in court.

Details from a bankruptcy report previously revealed that Pleterski’s father told the trustee that his son had been driven, beaten and tortured across Southern Ontario in December. Pleterski’s landlord also said he received a call asking for a $3 million ransom. After a few days, Pleterski’s father said that his son had been released, but that he should come up with some money soon, according to a transcript of the interview.

Pleterski says in video that he lost $45 million in a month

In the video received by CBC Toronto, Pleterski provides a timeline of when he started investing in cryptocurrency for himself in 2020, how that spread to family and friends, then others, and how in the second half of 2021″ everything went downhill.”

“When the crypto market started falling in November 2021, I should have been honest with everyone,” Pleterski said in the video.

“I lost enough to where my debts exceeded my assets… I lost almost $45 million strictly in the crypto market alone in a month.”

According to a bankruptcy report from earlier this year, there is only evidence that Pleterski invested about $670,700 — less than two percent of the money investors gave him. The report says that Pleterski spent nearly $16 million in investor funds on himself, renting private jets, taking vacations and adding luxury cars to his collection.

Pleterski says in video that he will repay investors

Later in the video, Pleterski acknowledges that he used some investor deposits for personal house payments, car insurance payments, car payments, and food costs. He then apologizes to investors.

“I’m sorry, I really am. I didn’t want or wanted to ruin anyone’s life. I know some people’s lives have been ruined because of this,” Pleterski said in the video.

“I honestly feel very, very humiliated. I’m ashamed… No one should ever, ever, ever, ever do what I did.”

Towards the end of the video, Pleterski says he wants to “make it right with everyone”.

“I’m going to work for it,” he said in the video.

“I’m going to do it before I buy myself another car, before I buy myself another watch, before I buy myself expensive clothes or anything. I’m going to live on the bare minimum until every last soul is paid back.”