Antonia Perez Hernandez, a promoter in the Forcount Ponzi scheme, has received a 30-month prison sentence. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
This decision came during a hearing on January 27 at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Judge Analisa Torres presided over the case. She is also handling the SEC's case against Ripple Labs.
Hernandez was part of a scheme that defrauded investors of about $8.4 million from 2017 to 2021. She promoted crypto trading and mining on Forcount, promising investors high returns. Judge Torres stated, “Ms. Hernandez sold valueless coins.” This highlights the seriousness of her actions.
During the sentencing, Hernandez apologized to those who lost money because of her actions. In previous cases, the senior promoter, Juan Tacuri, received a 20-year sentence in October 2024. Nestor Nuñez, who pleaded guilty around the same time as Hernandez, was sentenced to four years in November.
The U.S. Justice Department reported that the founders and promoters of Forcount misled victims. They falsely claimed that profits from crypto trading and mining would double their investments within six months. Instead, prosecutors argued that they used victims' funds to pay other victims, without any real trading or mining taking place.
This hearing was one of the first legal actions related to cryptocurrency after the resignation of SDNY Attorney Damian Williams in December 2024. Following the U.S. elections, a prosecutor mentioned that resources for cryptocurrency crime cases would be reduced.
In November, President Donald Trump announced plans to nominate former SEC Chair Jay Clayton to replace Williams. Since leaving government in 2020, Clayton has been advising the digital assets management platform Fireblocks.