Who Was Kevin Mirshahi? Crypto Influencer Found Dead in Montreal Park

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As a seasoned crypto investor with over a decade of experience in this wild world of digital assets, I’ve seen it all – from jaw-dropping gains to heart-wrenching losses. The story of Kevin Mirshahi, however, hits close to home. I followed his Telegram channel, Crypto Paradise Island, and was one of the many who sought his advice, albeit unknowingly supporting a pump-and-dump scheme.

After being missing for several months, Kevin Mirshahi’s body was discovered in Île-de-la-Visitation park, Montreal, Canada on October 30, 2024. According to a report from the Montreal Gazette, he was found by a passerby at 10 A.M. DNA tests later confirmed that the remains were indeed his, bringing an end to the search for him. In August, Joanie Lepage, aged 32, had been arrested by Montreal police for the murder of Kevin in the first degree and the abduction of four others, including himself. However, it remains unclear whether these crimes were connected to cryptocurrency or not. Investigations suggest that he may have been targeted by local gangs due to his financial transactions.

Despite growing concerns about crypto scams, they continue to proliferate significantly, troubling investors. In recent news, authorities apprehended 215 individuals linked to a $232 million cryptocurrency fraud scheme only a few days ago.

Who Was Kevin Mirshahi?

25-year-old crypto enthusiast and influencer, Kevin Mirshahi, had amassed a good number of followers among investors. Unfortunately, on June 21, he was one of four individuals kidnapped from a condo in Old Montreal. Thankfully, the other three were found shortly afterwards and proved to be safe. Sadly, it wasn’t until recently that Kevin’s remains, which had begun to decompose, were discovered in a park in Montreal after months of being missing.

On Crypto Paradise Island, a Telegram group of approximately 2300 members, Kevin served as the administrator. These individuals paid him monthly fees for crypto investment guidance they received from him. Numerous group members found his advice beneficial, as many reported making profits through his counsel. Unfortunately, due to his participation in a pump-and-dump scheme, he was barred from continuing his business activities. Since 2021, he has been prohibited from providing any investment advice within the group.

Kevin Mirshahi himself has admitted his error in endorsing the MRS token. He highlighted that his greatest blunder was selecting an inappropriate influencer to promote the token, who was then compensated with cryptocurrency. This led to two significant investors selling off all their MRS tokens, causing a crypto crash and shifting all legal liabilities onto the now deceased.

In our case, we may have acted imprudently. We ended up making significant errors. The initial error was bringing on board influencers without conducting due diligence. The subsequent mistake was compensating them with cryptocurrencies, which might give the impression of attempting to manipulate the market price.

Despite the ban, it was uncovered by Le Journal de Montréal that he secretly managed Telegroup and endorsed cryptocurrencies under the alias Amir. This crypto scam was brought to light following a report in April 2021 by Marson Newspaper. Subsequently, Antoine Marsan, the creator of MRS, along with Kevin Mirshahi, faced an investigation by the AMF.

2024 Witnessed 18 Similar Crypto Crimes

According to Casa’s co-founder and Chief Security Officer, Jameson Lopp, a shocking 18 instances of cryptocurrency-related crimes have occurred this year, involving violent acts such as assault, abduction, and even homicide. Remarkably, just a week prior to the discovery of Kevin Mirshahi’s body, the CEO of WonderFI, Dean Skurka, was kidnapped in Toronto. To secure his release, he had to pay an astonishing $720,660.

In a similar scenario, a Ukrainian tourist found himself needing to send $250,000 to a friend’s hotel account while he was vacationing in Thailand. Coincidentally, he decided to meet his friend at the same location. Unfortunately, two individuals wearing masks tricked him into transferring his cryptocurrency holdings. This has now shifted the concern from online fraud and theft to the realm of real-world crypto-related crimes.

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2024-11-14 15:02