According to Odaily, Antonia Perez Hernandez, the mastermind behind the cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme Forcount, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and has been sentenced to over two years in prison. During a hearing on January 27 at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Analisa Torres, who is also presiding over the SEC's case against Ripple Labs, sentenced Hernandez to 30 months in prison for her involvement in the cryptocurrency scam.
Hernandez admitted to collaborating with accomplices between 2017 and 2021 to defraud investors of approximately $8.4 million by promoting cryptocurrency trading and mining on Forcount, promising substantial returns. She expressed remorse and apologized to those who suffered financial losses due to her actions.
In related developments, Juan Tacuri, a senior promoter of the scheme, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in October 2024, while another defendant, Nestor Nuñez, received a four-year sentence in November.