Mining Capital Coin (MCC)

Mining Capital Coin (MCC International Corp., doing business as Mining Capital Coin Corp.) sold "mining packages" to 65,535 investors worldwide from at least January 2018, promising 1% daily returns paid weekly for up to 52 weeks from a purported international network of crypto mining machines, plus trading bots claimed to execute "thousands of trades per second." Per the SEC, defendants later forced investors to withdraw earnings in MCC's own Capital Coin (CPTL) token via Bitchain, a fake exchange Capuci created, while funds were diverted to the founders' own wallets and a lavish lifestyle (Lamborghinis, a Ferrari, a yacht, and real estate). Promoters were recruited through a multi-level marketing structure.

On May 6, 2022, the DOJ unsealed an indictment (S.D. Fla.) charging CEO/founder Luiz Carlos Capuci Jr. with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, securities fraud, and international money laundering over the ~$62 million scheme (max 45 years). The SEC filed parallel fraud charges the same week against MCC, Capuci, co-founder Emerson Souza Pires, CPTLCoin Corp., and Bitchain, and on April 21, 2022 obtained a temporary restraining order and asset freeze. Note the figures conflict: DOJ pegged losses at ~$62M, while the SEC's proven disgorgement base was $28.49M (initially pleaded at ~$8.1M in package sales plus $3.2M in fees).

Capuci, who holds dual US-Brazilian citizenship, fled to Brazil (which does not extradite its citizens) and remains a fugitive from the US criminal charges. Brazilian Federal Police's "Operation Yang" (~September 13, 2023) executed arrest and search warrants and seized roughly R$300 million (~$55M) across bank accounts and 52 properties; a Brazilian criminal trial opened August 21, 2024, with no publicly reported verdict. On August 26, 2025, the US federal court entered a $46.2M default judgment for the SEC: $28.49M joint disgorgement, $7.78M prejudgment interest, a $6M penalty for Capuci, $4M for Pires, and officer/director bars. As of mid-2026 there is no US criminal conviction; Capuci remains a fugitive and was reportedly still at liberty in Brazil (active on social media as of April 2025).

Sources: [DOJ press release (May 2022)](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/ceo-mining-capital-coin-indicted-62-million-cryptocurrency-fraud-scheme), [SEC press release 2022-81](https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022-81), [Bloomberg Law: $46M judgment](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/crypto-scheme-operators-ordered-to-pay-46-million-in-sec-suit), [BehindMLM: default judgment details](https://behindmlm.com/companies/mining-capital-coin-46-2-mill-def-judgment-granted/), [CNN (May 2022)](https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/08/business/pyramid-scheme-mining-capital-coin/index.html)

**Official action:** DOJ indictment unsealed May 6, 2022 (S.D. Fla.); SEC charges + TRO/asset freeze April 2022; Brazil Operation Yang arrests/seizures Sept 2023; SEC $46.2M default judgment Aug 26, 2025