Crypto murder: Two more arrested in Montreal crypto influencer case

Two additional arrests have been made in the case of Kevin Mirshahi, a cryptocurrency influencer whose body was discovered in a Montreal park last month. 

Quebec provincial police announced that Darius Perry, 27, and Nackael Hickey, 25, face charges of kidnapping and accessory to the alleged murder of Mirshahi, according to CBC reporting. 

This development follows the earlier arrest of Joanie Lepage, 32, who has been charged with first-degree murder.

Timeline of the case

Mirshahi disappeared on June 21 after he and three others were abducted from a luxury condo in Old Montreal. Police responded to a 911 call reporting a disturbance at the property, but while the other victims were found near a bus stop in Montreal’s west end hours later, Mirshahi remained missing.

Four months later, on October 30, Mirshahi’s body was found in the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. Police believe the murder occurred in a home in Les Cèdres, a town in Quebec’s Montérégie region, which was identified during the investigation. 

A burned-out SUV, suspected to have been used in the abduction, was also recovered, per CBC. 

Mirshahi’s crypto connection

Mirshahi, 25, was somewhat of an influencer figure in Montreal’s crypto scene. He ran “Crypto Paradise Island,” a private Telegram group with over 2,500 members, and was active on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, where he promoted investment opportunities.

The Autorité des Marchés Financiers, Quebec’s financial authority, began investigating Mirshahi in 2021. Restrictions were placed on him and his associates, prohibiting them from acting as investment advisers or conducting securities transactions, per CBC.  

In July 2024, shortly after his disappearance, the AMF extended these restrictions and required the removal of certain social media posts.

Authorities are piecing together how Mirshahi’s cryptocurrency dealings and regulatory issues may have intersected with his death. Police have not disclosed a motive at this time.

Mirshahi’s death is Montreal’s 32nd homicide of 2024, per CBC.