Kevin Mirshahi, a 25-year-old crypto influencer, went missing after being abducted on June 21. He was taken from a condo in Montreal along with three others. Fortunately, police found the other victims—a man and two women—just hours later.
On October 30, a body discovered in Île-de-la-Visitation park was identified as Mirshahi. This news was reported by the Montreal Gazette on November 12.
In August, Joanie Lepage, 32, faced serious charges. She was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Mirshahi’s death and the abduction of the four individuals. The reasons behind her actions are still unclear, especially regarding any ties to Mirshahi’s cryptocurrency activities.
At the time he disappeared, Mirshahi was running a paid investment group on Telegram called Crypto Paradise Island. This group offered advice on cryptocurrency investments.
However, it was also linked to a pump-and-dump scheme involving a token named Marsan ($MRS). This scheme reportedly caused significant losses for its 2,300 members, many of whom were young, aged between 16 and 20. Marsan was launched on April 14, 2021, by Antoine Marsan and Bastien Francoeur through their company, Marsan Exchange. Mirshahi promoted the token and was paid in it.
Initially, Marsan reached a peak value of 5.14 Canadian dollars (about 3.67 USD) just three days after its launch. However, on April 18, two major holders sold off their tokens, causing the price to plummet to 0.39 dollars. As a result, Mirshahi and his operations came under investigation by Quebec’s investment regulator, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), starting in 2021.
He faced multiple restrictions, including a ban on acting as a broker or investment adviser, prohibitions on securities transactions, and orders to remove social media publications. These restrictions were last extended on July 4 of this year.
Despite the ban, reports suggest that Mirshahi continued to run a Telegram group promoting cryptocurrency investments under the name “Amir.” His death was reported shortly after another kidnapping incident in Toronto. Dean Skurka, the CEO of crypto holding company WonderFi, was abducted and later released after paying a ransom of nearly 720,660 dollars.
The rise in physical crimes linked to cryptocurrency isn’t just a Canadian issue. Jameson Lopp, co-founder and Chief Security Officer of Casa, has recorded 18 attacks related to cryptocurrency this year. These incidents include investors being targeted under the pretense of in-person peer-to-peer trades, home invasions, and even murders.