Teen Pleads Guilty to $13M Crypto Theft After Impersonating Google, Trezor

Trenton Richard Johnston, charged by US prosecutors in May, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering after helping steal $13 million in digital assets, according to the US Attorney's Office. The 19-year-old and his co-conspirators impersonated representatives from companies including Google and hardware wallet provider Trezor to gain access to victims' cryptocurrency accounts, using social engineering tactics. In one instance, Johnston convinced a victim that their Google and Coinbase accounts were compromised, resulting in the theft of approximately $41,000 worth of Ethereum. Weeks later, the group targeted another victim by posing as Google and Trezor representatives, successfully draining approximately $13 million in Bitcoin.

Prosecutors stated that roughly $1.2 million of the stolen funds was spent on luxury cars including a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, private jet travel, a rental property in North Miami, and other expenses over a two-month period. As part of his cooperation, Johnston surrendered approximately 53.16 Bitcoin and 275.23 ETH, valued at around $3.7 million at current market prices.