Juan Tacuri, a key figure in the Forcount cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme, has admitted guilt to a conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge in New York. The scheme, which raked in $8.4 million from predominantly Spanish-speaking investors worldwide, was led by Tacuri, as stated by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York on June 5.
According to the office, Tacuri was a highly successful promoter of the fraudulent scheme, earning millions from his involvement. The Ponzi scheme enticed investors with false promises of high returns from Forcount’s cryptocurrency trading and mining activities, including doubling their initial investment within six months.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams emphasized that Tacuri is being held accountable for exploiting retail investors with a fictitious investment opportunity. Tacuri is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24, 2024, by Judge Analisa Torres, who is well-versed in cryptocurrency-related cases. The maximum penalty for the charge is 20 years in prison.
Tacuri, along with Francisley Da Silva and Antonia Perez Hernandez, was charged in December 2022 for their roles in the scheme from 2017 to 2021. While Tacuri has pleaded guilty, the other two have not been convicted. Williams revealed that Tacuri splurged victim funds on luxury items and real estate.
As part of the plea agreement, Tacuri will forfeit nearly $4 million and real estate bought with victim funds. Like many Ponzi operators, Tacuri traversed the U.S. hosting extravagant events and presentations to entice victims into investing in the scheme, promising financial freedom and boasting about his profits.
Investors who fell for Tacuri’s pitch would join Forcount’s platform and see their supposed profits grow. However, many were unable to withdraw these profits and ended up losing their entire investments. Even those who managed to withdraw funds faced excuses, delays, and hidden fees.
In a bid to inject more liquidity into the scheme, Forcount introduced the cryptocurrency “Mindexcoin,” claiming its value would surge once businesses started accepting it as payment. This claim turned out to be false, resulting in further financial losses for victims. Williams reiterated the office’s commitment to pursuing Ponzi schemers like Tacuri, especially when they target financially vulnerable individuals.
In a related story, a magazine reported that 1 in 6 new Base meme coins are scams, with 91% having vulnerabilities.