Antonia Perez Hernandez, a promoter involved in the Forcount Ponzi scheme, has received a 30-month prison sentence. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. This happened during a court hearing on January 27 in the Southern District of New York.
Judge Analisa Torres, who is also overseeing the SEC's case against Ripple Labs, presided over the hearing. Hernandez admitted to helping steal about $8.4 million from investors between 2017 and 2021. She promoted crypto trading and mining on Forcount, making promises of significant returns.
Judge Torres noted, “Ms. Hernandez sold valueless coins.” This statement highlights the seriousness of her actions.
During her sentencing, Hernandez expressed regret for the financial losses suffered by investors. She wasn’t alone in facing consequences. The senior promoter, Juan Tacuri, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in October 2024. Nestor Nuñez, another individual involved, received a four-year sentence in November after pleading guilty around the same time as Hernandez.
The U.S. Justice Department reported that the founders and promoters of Forcount misled victims. They falsely claimed that profits from the firm’s crypto trading and mining would double investments within six months. Instead, funds from victims were used to pay off other victims, without any real crypto mining or investing taking place.
This sentencing is one of the first major legal actions in a criminal case related to cryptocurrency since the resignation of SDNY Attorney Damian Williams in December 2024. After the U.S. elections, a prosecutor indicated that authorities would allocate fewer resources to cryptocurrency-related crime cases.
In November, President Donald Trump announced plans to nominate former SEC Chair Jay Clayton to replace Williams. Since leaving government in 2020, Clayton has worked as an adviser to Fireblocks, a digital asset management platform.