Juan Tacuri, a key player in the cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme Forcount, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and one year of supervised release. He’s also been ordered to forfeit a home bought with scam proceeds, $3.6 million in assets, and pay an equivalent amount in restitution to victims.
Forcount, which later rebranded as Weltsys, operated globally, targeting Spanish-speaking communities in the US with false promises of guaranteed profits from cryptocurrency mining and trading.
The scam worked like a typical Ponzi scheme: funds from new investors were used to pay earlier ones, while Tacuri and his fellow promoters enriched themselves with the victims’ money.
Tacuri, 46, was one of the most successful promoters, earning millions and living a lavish lifestyle, buying Florida real estate and luxury goods, and hosting flashy events to lure in more victims.
Victims could track their supposed profits through a fake online portal, but most couldn’t withdraw any funds. Complaints started surfacing in 2018, but Tacuri and others responded with excuses, delays, and hidden fees.
To keep the scheme going, Forcount offered worthless crypto-tokens called “Mindexcoin,” claiming they’d increase in value. By 2021, the scheme had collapsed, leaving most victims without any return on their investments.
The US Department of Justice charged Tacuri in December 2022, alongside associates Francisley Da Silva and Antonia Perez Hernandez. Tacuri entered a guilty plea in June 2024 and has been awaiting sentencing since then.