In a new development, Akil Heywood, an investor of self-proclaimed “Crypto King” Aiden Pleterski, faces additional charges, including alleged interference in a co-accused’s case. These charges stem from accusations of attempting to dissuade Deren Akyeam-Pong, who had pleaded guilty to the kidnapping case, from testifying in a judicial proceeding on November 3, 2025.
Heywood, aged 42, had invested significant sums with Pleterski. He was recently charged with fleeing the scene of a street racing accident in Scarborough, where four individuals, including an infant, sustained injuries. The incident involved Heywood racing a Lamborghini SUV against a Mercedes, resulting in a collision with a truck. Subsequently, Heywood faced charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, failure to stop at the crash site, and engaging in stunt racing.
Allegedly orchestrating Pleterski’s kidnapping in December 2022, Heywood subjected the “Crypto King” to a three-day ordeal involving threats, torture, and physical abuse. The acts of torture included waterboarding, cigarette burns, and beatings with golf clubs as they transported Pleterski across various locations in southern Ontario before releasing him in downtown Toronto.
Pleterski, who faced financial troubles and bankruptcy prior to the kidnapping, had been pursued by investors seeking to recoup millions of dollars entrusted to him for cryptocurrency and foreign currency investments. Heywood’s involvement in the kidnapping was purportedly driven by a desire to recover owed funds, leading him to enlist Akyeam-Pong and others to carry out the abduction.
In a separate legal matter, Pleterski was arrested in May 2024 by Durham Regional Police on charges of fraud and money laundering related to investor funds. These charges are pending trial, scheduled for October in Toronto, alongside the trial of Heywood and two others involved in Pleterski’s kidnapping.
Please note that none of the charges mentioned against Heywood have been tried in court, and his trial for the kidnapping and extortion of Pleterski is slated for November. Despite the mounting legal challenges, Heywood maintains his innocence in relation to the kidnapping allegations.