PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL – It began with promises of quick wealth through cutting-edge cryptocurrency investments. But for thousands of investors, the dream quickly unraveled into a nightmare. On Tuesday, Juan Tacuri, 46, of Greenacres, Florida, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in promoting a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded victims across the globe.
The scam, which initially operated under the name Forcount and later as Weltsys, lured victims—primarily from Spanish-speaking communities—into investing their hard-earned money, only for it to disappear into the pockets of Tacuri and his associates.
How the Scheme Operated
Forcount marketed itself as a cryptocurrency mining and trading platform, promising extraordinary returns. Investors were told they could double their money within six months, with daily profits guaranteed. In reality, there were no legitimate cryptocurrency operations behind the scheme. Instead, new investor funds were funneled to earlier participants to sustain the illusion, the hallmark of a classic Ponzi scheme.
Tacuri was a key promoter of Forcount, traveling across the U.S. to host events ranging from small community meetings to extravagant expos. Dressed in designer clothes, he boasted about his own success, encouraging others to invest in the same fraudulent ventures. Victims were directed to an online portal where they could track what seemed to be growing profits—only to discover that their investments were gone when they tried to withdraw funds.
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Lavish Lifestyle at the Expense of Victims
While victims saw fake numbers accumulate in their online accounts, Tacuri and others behind the scheme siphoned off the funds. The stolen money was spent on luxury goods, real estate, and further promotional events to lure more victims. When complaints about frozen accounts began to surface in 2018, Forcount shifted tactics. They introduced a proprietary crypto token, Mindexcoin, falsely claiming it would increase in value and be accepted as a form of payment by various companies.
Despite Tacuri’s bold promises, the token proved worthless, leaving investors with nothing to show for their investments.
A Harsh Sentence and Financial Consequences
Tacuri’s actions finally caught up with him in court. Along with his 20-year prison sentence, he will serve one year of supervised release. The court also ordered him to forfeit $3,610,718.67, including the title to a Florida home purchased with victim funds. In addition, Tacuri must pay at least $3,610,718.67 in restitution to help compensate those who were defrauded.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “Tacuri was one of the most prolific promoters of the Forcount Ponzi scheme, taking in millions of dollars from working class victims. Instead of using victims’ funds as promised, he instead spent it on himself. Today’s sentence should serve as a stark reminder that, in the long run, fraud does not pay.”
A Warning to Investors
Tacuri’s conviction highlights the dangers lurking in the fast-moving world of cryptocurrency. Scammers often target vulnerable communities, as Forcount did with Spanish-speaking investors, making it essential to recognize warning signs in investment opportunities. Guaranteed returns, complex schemes with no transparency, and tokens with no real-world value are all common red flags.
As cryptocurrency grows in popularity, the need for vigilance becomes more important than ever. Tacuri’s story is a reminder: when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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