Juan Tacuri, a senior promoter of the Forcount Ponzi scheme, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for defrauding investors out of $8.4 million. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the sentencing on Oct. 15, noting that Tacuri must also pay $3.6 million in restitution and serve one year of supervised release after completing his prison term.
Targeting Spanish-Speaking Communities Worldwide
According to US prosecutors, Tacuri and his co-conspirators targeted victims globally, with a particular focus on Spanish-speaking communities. Their scheme promised substantial returns through what they claimed were cryptocurrency mining and trading operations, but it was all a sham. Investors were lured with promises of doubling their capital within six months, only to have their money funneled into the personal luxuries of the scheme’s promoters.
US Attorney Damian Williams commented on the sentencing, emphasizing the severity of the crime: “Juan Tacuri may have claimed to be involved in cutting-edge cryptocurrency investing, but, in reality, he was running one of the oldest tricks in the book — a Ponzi scheme.” He added that the 240-month sentence is a “stark reminder that, in the long run, fraud does not pay.”
Lavish Events, False Promises, and the Collapse of Forcount
Forcount, later rebranded as Weltsys, was presented as a cryptocurrency mining and trading company. Tacuri and other promoters held lavish events across the United States to draw in investors, offering false promises of guaranteed payouts and quick returns. However, there were no legitimate operations, and the funds collected from victims were used to finance luxury purchases, including real estate and other high-end goods.
By 2018, early signs of the scheme’s collapse began to appear, with investors reporting issues when attempting to withdraw their funds. Despite mounting complaints, the perpetrators stopped responding to investors in 2021. In 2022, charges were unsealed against Forcount’s founder, Francisley da Silva, marking the beginning of legal actions against the group.
Guilty Pleas and Consequences for Other Promoters
Tacuri pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy in June 2024. In addition to Tacuri, other Forcount promoters, including Antonia Perez Hernandez and Nestor Nunez, also pleaded guilty to similar charges in July 2024. Their involvement in the scheme helped defraud investors while falsely promoting a fraudulent cryptocurrency venture.
