JuanTacurihasbeensentencedtoamaximumof240monthsforhisroleintheForcountPonzischeme.

TacuriwasaseniorpromoterintheForcountPonzischemethatdefraudedthousandsofinvestors,primarilyinSpanish-speakingcommunities,accordingtocourtdocuments.TheU.S.DistrictCourtfortheSouthernDistrictofNewYork,underJudgeAnalisaTorres,deliveredthemaximumsentenceforhisroleinthecrypto-basedfraud.

Tacuri,46,wasorderedtopayover$3.6millioninrestitutionandforfeitahomeinFloridathatwaspurchasedwithstolenfunds.

Cryptofrauddetails

Forcount,laterknownasWeltsys,falselyclaimedtoengageincryptominingandtrading.Tacuriandotherpromoterstoldinvestorstheycouldguaranteedailyreturnsanddoubletheirinvestmentswithinsixmonths.

However,thecompanywasnotinvolvedinanylegitimatecryptoactivities.Instead,ForcountoperatedasaclassicPonzischeme,usingnewinvestmentstopayoffearlierparticipantswhileitspromotersenrichedthemselves.

Update:Fourmonthsafterhisguiltyplea,JuanTacurihasbeensentencedto240monthsinprisonandorderedtoforfeit$3,610,718.67andtitletoahomeinFloridahepurchasedinpartwithForcountVictimfunds.CryptoCriminals:https://t.co/ExLjXQJArQhttps://t.co/xwFIZSiveC

—InnerCityPress(@innercitypress)October16,2024

Victimswereprimarilyworking-class,Spanish-speakingindividuals.TacuritraveledacrosstheUnitedStates,hostingeventstoattractmoreinvestors.Theseexpos,rangingfromsmallcommunitygatheringstolarger-scaleevents,featuredTacuriboastingabouthisfinancialsuccessandpromotingForcount’sproducts.

Investorswereledtobelievetheywouldachievefinancialfreedomthroughtheseinvestments.

Despitemountingcomplaintsasearlyas2018,wheninvestorsdiscoveredtheycouldnotwithdrawfunds,Tacuriandotherpromoterscontinuedtopushthescheme.

Youmightalsolike:Trustissues:Cancryptoregulationstopthosewho‘bamboozleanddefraud’?

‘Mindexcoin’

Toaddressliquidityissues,theschemeintroducedproprietarytokenscalled“Mindexcoin,”claimingtheywouldholdvalue.Thesetokensultimatelybecameworthless,leadingtofurtherlosses.

Tacuri’ssentence,whichincludesoneyearofsupervisedrelease,followsimpactstatementsfrommorethan20victimsduringthesentencing.

U.S.AttorneyDamianWilliamsemphasizedthatTacuri’sactionswereaclearcaseoffrauddisguisedascutting-edgecryptoinvesting.“Frauddoesnotpay,”Williamsstated.

crypto.news