A 25-year-old man from Brampton allegedly drove hundreds of kilometres to Montreal to beat and torture a man out of $15,000 in cryptocurrency. The accused, Omar Abdul Singateh, is also facing charges related to a Sunday morning shooting at a nightclub on the waterfront.
According to court documents, Singateh pleaded guilty in August to charges related to a violent cryptocurrency robbery. He and two accomplices were accused of torturing a man for hours in his Montreal condo, taking orders from an anonymous person via encrypted messaging app.
The court heard that Singateh waited outside the victim's condo for over 24 hours before he and an accomplice barged their way in, tied him with zip-ties, and spent hours torturing the man. The victim gave the trio $15,000, but they were convinced there was more.
Singateh and his accomplices beat the man with a barbell, broke his fingers, and threatened to do the same to his father. When the victim didn't give up any more money, the trio left at around 3 p.m.
On Sunday, emergency crews were dispatched to an area near Polson St. and Cherry St. after reports of gunfire. Singateh allegedly exchanged gunfire with another person, then carjacked a nearby rideshare vehicle with customers on board, striking vehicles and pedestrians in his attempt to flee the scene.
Singateh and another person were transported to hospital with gunshot wounds, along with a third person allegedly struck by Singateh in his attempt to flee. All injuries are considered non-life-threatening, and a firearm was recovered from inside the vehicle.
Singateh faces numerous charges, including firearms offences, forcible confinement, and robbery. These charges have not been tested in court.
