Canadian police are charging “cryptocurrency baron” and social media personality Eden Bletterski with fraud over CA$5,000 ($3,666) and money laundering after a lengthy investigation. Police and the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) announced that his partner Colin Murphy was also charged with fraud.
Blitrski was arrested on May 14 and released the same day on C$100,000 bail provided by his parents. Colin Murphy is facing charges for soliciting investments and falsely claiming to have “large weekly profits through smart investing.” Murphy was released on a promise to appear in court.
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Fraud over CA$5,000 is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The Durham Regional Police Service and OSC declined to reveal the financial details behind the charges during a May 16 news conference, citing a publication ban, but said his fraudulent activities could have continued until ‘in February 2024.
Police opened their investigation into Bleterski and his company, AP Private Equity, in July 2022 after numerous complaints. Durham Police Chief Peter Moreira said in the press:
“This investigation has been extremely thorough, with over 40 court orders sought and a careful analysis of financial documents lasting over 18 months. »
One of the investors had filed a fraud lawsuit against them three months ago. Pleterski and his company were declared bankrupt in August of that year, and the bankruptcy trustee found that Pleterski had raised C$41.5 million and invested 1.6% of that amount. He spent CA$15.9 million on personal perks, including a Lamborghini, two McLarens, two BMWs, as well as renting a mansion and private jets.
Blitrski continued to lead a jet-setting life despite his bankruptcy and the regent’s demands to imprison him. He claimed to have been kidnapped and tortured by an investor and his accomplices in December 2022, leading to the arrest of five people by police in Toronto in July 2023.
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