Fort Lauderdale Advisor Faces $94M Ponzi Scheme Charges

Fort Lauderdale, FL – Federal agents have swept down on Andrew Hamilton Jacobus, a 64-year-old investment advisor from Fort Lauderdale, charging him with wire fraud and money laundering after he allegedly swindled more than $94 million from international investors, primarily Venezuelans.

Jacobus, who posed as a seasoned financial advisor, is accused of orchestrating a years-long Ponzi scheme. He falsely claimed to manage legitimate investment portfolios while siphoning off funds for personal gain and to pay returns to earlier dupes. His alleged tactics included forging account statements and falsifying documentation to dupe clients into believing they were investing wisely.

Between 2019 and 2023, Jacobus is said to have solicited funds through Kronus Financial Corporation and Finser International, promising high-yield investments. Federal prosecutors claim he used the stolen funds for luxury personal expenses and unrelated business ventures.

Jacobus was apprehended without incident in Fort Lauderdale and has appeared in federal court. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 20 years in prison per charge, along with asset forfeiture and restitution orders.

The investigation and prosecution are being led by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore is handling the case.

For more information on this case, visit the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls, or the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20309.

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