The case of the Canadian basketball star, the lakefront mansion and the ‘crypto king’

NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is trying to reverse the sale of an $8.4-million Burlington mansion he bought last spring, accusing the sellers of failing to tell him that “crypto king” Aiden Pleterski had been living there and receiving “threatening visits” from angry investors, according to court documents.

In a lawsuit filed in June and first reported by CBC, the Oklahoma City Thunder player, who is from Toronto, alleges a bizarre series of events, including that the sellers left out that “random” people had shown up threatening harm to the property and Pleterski, who was later kidnapped at another location; and that days after he moved in, a man arrived demanding to know where Pleterski was.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

Gilgeous-Alexander, sometimes known by his initials SGA, is suing businessmen Sandeep and Ray Gupta, as well as numbered companies they operate and their hospitality and development firm Sunray Group of Hotels Inc.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s lawyer, John Adair, said in an email he and his client are unable to comment as the matter is before the courts.

The lawyer for the Guptas, Sumeet (Sonu) Dhanju-Dhillon of Torkin Manes LLP, said in an email that they “deny that there was any misrepresentation to the purchaser.”

She added: “Given that judgment in this case is under reserve, it is premature to comment on the merits of the case at this time.”

Pleterski did not return requests for comment. His lawyer, Micheal Simaan, said in an email that the “suggestion that there were threats against Mr. Pleterski while he was at the Burlington lakeshore property seems very exaggerated,” as the threats made against him took place while he was in public, and his main concern was his family home — the address connected to his business filings — and not the Burlington residence.

According to the statement of claim, property and corporate documents, a numbered company of which Gilgeous-Alexander is the sole officer and director bought a 10,000-square-foot property with six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a home theatre and a private dock on Lake Ontario in May 2023, with the expectation the luxury home would be “private.”

An online listing for the mansion shows photos of high ceilings, stunning waterfront views and a home gym.

But, according to court documents, once Gilgeous-Alexander and his partner moved in they were disturbed by a visit from a man who wanted to know where Pleterski was.

They called the non-emergency number for the police and were told there had been reports of several threats against the property, including one threat to burn it down, say the court documents. The couple did not feel safe and left the property.

Ryan Anderson, a spokesperson for Halton Regional Police Service, said in an email they are not able to disclose whether there were reports of threats as it’s personal information.

The statement of claim says Pleterski entered into a “lease-toown” agreement with the defendants in March 2021, agreeing to purchase the property for $8.49 million with a closing date in two years.

Until then, he would pay about $42,000 a month to lease the property, with the money put toward the purchase price.

It adds he stopped paying rent in May 2022, but was allowed to stay there because he provided a car worth over $1 million as security.

It was around that time that “random people started showing up” and “threatening” to harm him and/or the property. He moved out that summer and in December of that year he was “forcibly abducted in the middle of the night,” the statement of claim says. “His captors drove him around and beat him demanding money,” it adds. They called Sandeep Gupta and wanted a ransom of $3 million, and when Gupta refused they dropped Pleterski off on his doorstep.

In July, Toronto police charged four people in the alleged kidnapping of Pleterski, according to reporting from the Star and sister paper Whitby This Week, as a video of him looking beaten and apologizing to investors circulated online.

Pleterski, who attended high school in Whitby, was celebrated as an investor genius in the crypto market in 2021 and early 2022 but he was later sued by investors and petitioned into involuntary bankruptcy.

One of the men accused of kidnapping him was also an investor.

In their statement of defence, the Guptas say the individual who visited the Burlington property looking for Pleterski once Gilgeous-Alexander moved in “left without issue” after being told Pleterski didn’t live there anymore.

They deny that “they made any fraudulent misrepresentation, by omission or otherwise to the plaintiff regarding the property,” and state that they did not fail to disclose any relevant information.