https://www.local10.com/news/local/2026/05/11/federal-prosecutors-19-year-old-canadian-indicted-for-role-in-13-million-fraud-in-miami/

MIAMI — A 19-year-old Canadian stands accused of participating in a $13 million fraud that allowed him to “lease luxury vehicles, purchase high-end jewelry, and finance an extravagant nightlife and entertainment lifestyle” in Miami, according to federal prosecutors.

A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida indicted Trenton Richard David Johnston and his 28-year-old friend Brandon Michael Tardibone for a cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering scheme, prosecutors announced on Monday.

Johnston, who overstayed his visa, “impersonated support representatives from a popular search engine and cryptocurrency-related companies to gain unauthorized access to victims’ digital accounts and cryptocurrency wallets,” according to prosecutors.

Federal agents accused Johnston and Tardibone of also using “a series of financial transactions” to hide the nature of the stolen funds, according to prosecutors.

Johnston faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Tardibone faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and harboring an alien in the U.S.

Homeland Security Investigations Miami investigated the case, with the help of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Golden Beach Police Department.