Police were called to a body in the Île-de-la-Visitation park in Montreal and have now stated that it was identified as that of missing Canadian crypto influencer Kevin Mirshahi. The passer-by found the boy’s body, who had been missing for months, at around 10 a.m.
Mirshahi was also declared dead at the scene, and police said the body was decomposing. It was the 32nd homicide in Montreal this year.
The body was identified through an autopsy as Mirshahi, who had been missing since he was abducted from a condo building in Old Montreal on June 21.
Crypto Influencer Kevin Mirshahi Found Dead
Mirshahi was a notable figure in the cryptocurrency world, and that attracted public attention when he reportedly went missing. He was the founder of Crypto Paradise Island, a private investment group that had already been subject to an investigation by Quebec’s investment regulator, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), since 2021.
The AMF had been focusing on Mirshahi due to his business activities such as a subscription-based Telegram group that offered crypto investment tips. It turned out the group was involved in a so-called “pump and dump” scheme for a crypto token as known Marsan ($MRS).
Adding another layer of controversy to the case was that Mirshahi has a relation with $MRS token which had an all-time high at the Canadian dollar of $5.14 ($3.67) and crashed down to $0.39.
The value of the token crashed when wealthy holders decided to cash out, costing millions in losses to many investors, most of whom were youths even minors aged 16. As a result, the AMF took measures against Mirshahi by broadening an existing prohibition against him by prohibiting him from acting as a broker or investment adviser and from conducting securities transactions.
Mirshahi’s Steps Towards Controversy
According to reports, Mirshahi continued operating a crypto-investing Telegram group under the name “Amir” in defiance of the AMF actions that now prohibited him from doing so. His actions were tracked by local authorities, who were already investigating his disappearance.
Mirshahi had been kidnapped with three others on June 21. Mirshahi was never found alive, and although the others were later discovered and released, Montreal police referred the case to the Sureté du Québec (SQ).
Police arrested 32-year-old Joanie Lepage in August, and she has been charged with the first-degree murder of Kevin Mirshahi. His death remains under investigation by authorities, and the details of that evening are still coming to light.
Mirshahi’s body was discovered days later, and when Lepage was charged in her abduction and death — police said there may be other parties involved. Mirshahi’s unfortunate passing has rocked the crypto community, highlighting the dangers of an expanding realm of crypto investments.
This incident follows a highly-publicized kidnapping in Canadian cryptocurrency earlier this month. Dean Skurka, the CEO of WonderFi was allegedly abducted and held to a $1 million ransom last week. Such incidents reflect the recent rise in threats against people who are part of or close to the chaotic nature of crypto.