Nestor Nunez, a 64-year-old Spanish citizen, was allegedly paid to present himself as the CEO of Forcount under the alias “Salvador Molina.”
Two more promoters of the Forcount Ponzi scheme, a Brazil-based crypto scam that defrauded Spanish-speaking investors around the world of a total of $8.4 million, have been arrested and charged with fraud.
Nestor Nunez, 64, a Spanish citizen, was arrested in Spain on December 28, and Ramon Perez, 40, a US citizen, surrendered to authorities in Orlando on Friday. Nunez is currently being sought for extradition to face charges in the United States by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Perez is accused of defrauding would-be investors in the alleged scam and concealing his crime through the use of shell companies and real estate. Prosecutors say Nunez was an actor paid by the alleged scheme’s real leader – Brazilian citizen Francisley Da Silva – to present himself as Forcount’s CEO, using the alias “Salvador Molina,”.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has already charged Da Silva, along with three other Forcount founders and promoters – Juan Antonio Tacuri Fajardo, Ramon Antonio Perez Arias, and Jose Ramiro Coronado Reyes – with securities violations (SEC). Da Silva and Fajardo are also being prosecuted.
From 2017 to 2021, the alleged scheme used a network of promoters to convince investors to put money into the platform, which promised high returns based on profit sharing from non-existent mining and trading activities.
According to a criminal indictment in the case, Da Silva and his associates squandered customer funds on luxury items for themselves and promotion of the alleged scam, while the majority of victims lost their entire investments.
Perez was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted.
Nunez was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
