Pasco County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Ponzi Scheme

Antonia Perez Hernandez was sentenced to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of probation for her role in a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. Hernandez pleaded guilty to stealing approximately $8.4 million from investors by promoting Forcount, aka Weltsys, a crypto trading and mining platform.

Hernandez, along with other promoters, targeted hundreds of real estate investors primarily from Spanish-speaking communities throughout the United States and other countries. They falsely promised that the company’s cryptocurrecny mining and trading would result in guaranteed daily returns on victims’ investments and the doubling of those investments within six months. However, the investigation revealed that the company was not involved in cryptocurrency mining or trading, and the victims’ money was being used to pay other victims to further promote the scheme. Also, several hundred thousand dollars were used for personal benefit like luxury goods and real estate.

This case is the result of a joint investigation with the OFR, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, the New York City Police Department, and the New York City Sherriff’s Office, Department of Finance. The Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Investigative and Forensic Services assisted in securing the arrest of Hernandez.