Juan Tacuri, a senior promoter in a global cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme Forcount, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by a federal court in New York. Tacuri actively targeted Spanish-speaking communities, playing a key role in defrauding thousands of victims across the globe. The scheme promised guaranteed returns from cryptocurrency trading and mining, but instead funneled victims’ funds to promoters.
The Forcount scheme operated from at least 2018 until 2021, luring investors with promises of guaranteed profits and returns. As complaints mounted, promoters like Tacuri offered new proprietary tokens, known as “Mindexcoin,” claiming they would become valuable when accepted for payments by companies.
In reality, the tokens were worthless, leading to further financial losses for victims. The 46-year-old Tacuri was ordered to serve 20 years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. He was also required to forfeit over $3.6 million in ill-gotten gains, including a Florida property purchased with victim funds, and pay restitution in the same amount.
