Warning: This story contains distressing details about torture and graphic images
Self-described “Crypto King” Aiden Pleterski described being beaten with a gun and tortured with knives and a lighter in the back of a truck as he began his testimony at the trial of his alleged kidnappers Friday in Toronto.
“[I was] very scared, scared I’m going to die, scared for my life, in survival mode essentially,” Pleterski told the Ontario Superior Court about how he felt at the time.
The Crown played a 13-second video for the jury, which showed Pleterski on his knees begging for his life while a man pointed a gun at him and counted down from three.
Before reaching one, the man appears to fire the gun beside Pleterski’s head.
“It didn’t hit me, but I know it was very loud and there was a constant ringing in my left ear,” Pleterski testified. “When he shot the firearm I didn’t know if I was shot or not.”
Akil Heywood, Alfredo Paladino and Rakeem Henry are all charged with kidnapping and extorting Pleterski over the course of three days in early December 2022.
Paladino and Henry are also charged with firearms offences, the aggravated assault of Pleterski, assaulting him with a weapon, and assault causing bodily harm over that same period. All three men have pleaded not guilty.
Pleterski, 27, was convicted of fraud last month in connection with more than $30 million he took from investors to trade on their behalf, but he’s yet to be sentenced.
He told the court that Heywood invested between $300,000 and $400,000 and allegedly started threatening him in texts and phone calls about getting that money back in the beginning to the middle of 2022.
Pleterski also testified that Heywood was appointed as one of the five creditor inspectors tasked with overseeing his bankruptcy proceeding.
‘Driving force’
In its opening statement, the Crown alleged Heywood was the “driving force” behind the plan to kidnap Pleterski and that evidence would show another man — who is not part of the trial — was the lead kidnapper and that Paladino and Henry carried it out alongside him.
Pleterski identified Heywood, Paladino and Henry in the courtroom Friday as Crown prosecutor Julia De Vuono walked him through the events leading to the alleged kidnapping and what Pleterski said happened to him during it.
From left to right, Alfredo Paladino, Akil Heywood and Rakeem Henry are accused of kidnapping and extorting Pleterski in December 2022. (Evan Mitsui/CBC, Instagram/atlanticmastoronto)
Pleterski described how he met a man he was introduced to as “Slime” a couple of weeks before the alleged kidnapping who said he wanted help converting cryptocurrency into cash. The pair began communicating and organized a meeting at the Ritz Carlton hotel in downtown Toronto in late 2022, according to Pleterski.
He testified that “Slime” attended the meeting with two other men, including one he later pointed out as Henry in the courtroom.
A couple of days later, on Dec. 5, Pleterski said he received a message from “Slime” asking to meet up about the cryptocurrency. Pleterski testified “Slime” picked him up in downtown Toronto in a Dodge Ram but this time, after he got in the backseat, “Slime” got in beside him and pulled out a gun.
He said Henry was on the other side of him in the backseat and also had a pistol on his lap. Pleterski identified Paladino as the driver.
Sandeep Gupta, Pleterski’s former landlord, testified on Tuesday and Thursday at the trial of three men accused of kidnapping the self-described ‘Crypto King.’ (Pam Davies/CBC)
Pleterski said he was zip-tied and reusable garbage bags were put over his head at various points. He testified the truck got on the Gardiner Expressway and that, while in transit, “Slime” made a call.
“I knew instantly it was AK, or Akil Heywood,” said Pleterski, about hearing the voice on the phone, which he testified was on speaker.
Pleterski testified that Heywood said “Where the F is my money, pussy?” and told him: “You’re either going to pay with your money or you’re going to pay with your life.”
From there Pleterski explained how he told the kidnappers that his former landlord Sandeep Gupta was “hiding a bunch of assets, [I] just need to call him.” Although in court, Pleterski said that was not true.
On Tuesday, the jury heard audio of a 911 call Gupta made during a phone call with Pleterski. Pleterski testified “Slime” was instructing him on what to say during that call, including telling him he needed $2-3 million from Gupta.
The Crown asked Pleterski why he didn’t tell Gupta he was kidnapped.
“If I told him on the phone that I was kidnapped, I was scared that they would kill me,” he replied.
Pleterski wasn’t sure whether the phone call with Gupta happened before or after he was taken to a field, where the video of him on his knees was allegedly taken.
In that video, after the gun appears to be fired, Pleterski says “Sandeep has it all.”
Gupta testified at the trial Tuesday and Thursday and denied any involvement in Pleterski’s Ponzi scheme and denied hiding any money or assets for him.
Pleterski’s testimony continued Friday afternoon.
