A Hamilton man has been sentenced to one year in a U.S. prison after pleading guilty to a 2022 cryptocurrency theft spree that defrauded nearly 200 victims and netted more than $1 million (Cdn).

The case has drawn international attention because the man was already on bail for one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts in Canadian history. As a 17-year-old in 2020, he stole an “astonishing” $48 million in digital assets from tech entrepreneur Josh Jones in a single day through a sophisticated SIM-swap scam.

A Serial Cybercrime Spree
U.S. prosecutors described the man as a “serial online fraudster” who deliberately immersed himself in the world of cybercrime. Court filings reveal he continued stealing even while awaiting trial in Canada, highlighting his persistent involvement in digital fraud.

His defence lawyers painted a different picture, arguing he was “largely raised by the internet” and used online spaces as an escape from a troubled upbringing. They described him as a “psychologically vulnerable teenager” who sought validation and attention through online communities when he carried out the crimes.

The SIM-Swap Hack Explained
During a Hamilton court hearing in 2022, Crown attorney Fraser McCracken outlined how the teen pulled off the $48 million theft. By impersonating Josh Jones, he tricked a cellphone provider into transferring control of Jones’s phone number to a SIM card he controlled. This gave him access to digital wallets and authentication systems tied to Jones’s accounts.

Protected Identity Under Canadian Law
Because the man was a minor at the time of the 2020 theft, his name cannot be revealed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Now an adult, he faces prison time in the U.S. while his Canadian conviction remains one of the most notorious cases of cryptocurrency theft in the country’s history.