Emerson Sousa Pires
Summary
Emerson Sousa Pires is a Brazilian national and co-founder of MCC International Corp. (doing business as Mining Capital Coin), who faces a $46.2 million SEC default judgment entered August 26, 2025, alongside co-founder Luiz Carlos Capuci Jr. for operating an alleged crypto mining Ponzi scheme that defrauded approximately 65,535 investors. Pires is separately charged criminally and faces additional civil enforcement by the CFTC arising from a second fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platform, EmpiresX, through which he allegedly defrauded over 12,500 additional investors. He has reportedly fled to Brazil, where Brazilian law prohibits extradition of citizens, though Brazilian federal authorities conducted arrests in connection with parallel domestic proceedings in September 2023.
Connected Entities
1 entities · 10 linked investigations- + 1 more
Timeline(12 events)
2018-01-01
MCC International Corp. (Mining Capital Coin) allegedly begins selling fraudulent mining packages to investors, promising 1% daily returns. Pires and Capuci are co-founders.
SEC Complaint, S.D. Fla. (filed April 22, 2022)2020-09-01
Pires and Goncalves launch EmpiresX (Empires Consulting Corp.) in South Florida, soliciting investors for an alleged cryptocurrency trading platform using a purported algorithmic 'bot'.
CFTC Press Release 9045-252022-04-21
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issues a temporary restraining order and asset freeze against MCC International Corp., Capuci, and Pires following SEC complaint.
SEC Press Release 2022-812022-04-22
SEC files civil fraud complaint against MCC International Corp., Emerson Sousa Pires, Luiz Carlos Capuci Jr., CPTLCoin Corp., and Bitchain Exchanges.
SEC Press Release 2022-812022-05-09
DOJ announces criminal indictment of Luiz Carlos Capuci Jr. in connection with the MCC Mining Capital Coin scheme, alleging a $62 million fraud.
CoinTelegraph: Mining Capital Coin CEO accused of $62M investment fraud scheme2022-06-30
DOJ, SEC, and CFTC file parallel criminal and civil charges against Pires, Goncalves, and Nicholas in connection with the EmpiresX scheme, alleging approximately $100 million in investor losses.
DOJ USAO-SDFL: Three Men Charged in $100 Million Cryptocurrency Fraud2022-07-01
SEC formally announces charges against Empires Consulting Corp., Pires, Goncalves, and Nicholas via press release 2022-119.
SEC Press Release 2022-1192022-07-01
DOJ files notice transferring Pires and Goncalves to fugitive status in the EmpiresX criminal case after they flee to Brazil.
Willkie Compliance Concourse: DOJ, SEC, CFTC bring criminal and civil charges against six individuals2023-09-13
Brazilian Federal Police conduct Operation Yang, executing 25 search and seizure warrants and two arrest warrants across multiple states. Reports indicate Pires was arrested in Florianopolis.
BehindMLM: Mining Capital Coin arrests and seizures in Brazil2025-02-04
CFTC obtains default judgment against Pires and Goncalves in the EmpiresX case: jointly and severally ordered to pay more than $32 million in disgorgement and more than $96 million in civil monetary penalties (approximately $128 million total). Permanent trading and registration bans imposed.
CFTC Press Release 9045-252025-08-26
Judge K. Michael Moore enters approximately $46.2 million default judgment against Pires and Capuci in the SEC's MCC International / Mining Capital Coin civil enforcement action.
Bloomberg Law: Crypto Scheme Operators Ordered to Pay $46 Million in SEC SuitDecision Log
- #1publish⛓ pending8/9/2026, 12:15:49 PMhash: AJz23hetZQcy4QnKmJPqzKhxSMr4AD8NJbn5jQ5rTZru
20 of 21 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 8/9/2026, 12:15:37 PM
last updated: 8/9/2026, 6:49:59 PM
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