A Fort Lauderdale resident has admitted to orchestrating a fraudulent investment scheme that resulted in losses of more than $94 million for international investors, most of whom were Venezuelan nationals.
Court documents reveal that Andrew Hamilton Jacobus, 64, presented himself as an experienced financial advisor and managed funds through entities such as Kronus Financial Corporation and Finser International Corporation. He assured clients they would have access to secure investments with high returns. However, authorities say Jacobus misused the money for personal luxury expenses and paid earlier investors using new funds in a Ponzi scheme.
Prosecutors stated that Jacobus forged account statements and falsified documents over nearly two decades, from 2004 to 2023. He pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering on November 14. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida announced the plea along with Ronald A. Loecker, Special Agent in Charge at IRS Criminal Investigation’s Florida Field Office.
The case is being investigated by IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore is prosecuting, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitch Hyman is overseeing asset forfeiture proceedings.
Additional information about the case can be found on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida's website at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or through http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-20309.
