Key Takeaways
- • $10M+ fraud scheme: Taj Tarsha, 34-year-old founder of NFT startup Few and Far, has been indicted on securities and wire fraud charges for allegedly diverting over $10 million raised from 67+ investors to personal expenses and online gambling.
- • Investment structure exploited: Tarsha solicited investments beginning February 2022 through Simple Agreements for Future Tokens (SAFTs), promising investor funds would develop a decentralized NFT marketplace and the FAR token; the startup publicly announced a $10.5 million funding round led by Pantera Capital in March 2023.
- • Immediate misappropriation: Prosecutors allege Tarsha began diverting funds almost immediately, using investor capital for online casino gambling, speculative cryptocurrency purchases, a Miami condo, and concealed compensation including nearly $1 million in undisclosed bonuses and an acknowledged unreasonable salary despite the company having zero revenue and no product.
- • Detection and charges: A June 2023 audit uncovered the spending irregularities; Tarsha was arrested June 6, 2026, and his case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in the Southern District of New York, with each count carrying a maximum 20-year prison sentence.
- • 95 million tokens sold: The indictment details that Tarsha sold rights to 95 million FAR tokens across multiple investor agreements, representing a systematic securities fraud targeting retail and institutional investors in the cryptocurrency space.
Summary
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have indicted Taj Tarsha, founder and sole owner of crypto startup Few and Far, on securities and wire fraud charges stemming from an alleged $10 million investor fraud scheme. Tarsha, 34, of Miami, was arrested on June 6, 2026, and faces charges that carry maximum sentences of 20 years per count upon conviction.
Few and Far represented itself to investors as a development-stage company building a decentralized marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Beginning in February 2022, Tarsha solicited investments through Simple Agreements for Future Tokens (SAFTs)—a common but heavily scrutinized fundraising mechanism in crypto—under which investors paid upfront for the right to receive the company's FAR tokens at a future date. According to the indictment, Tarsha raised more than $10 million from at least 67 investors by selling rights to 95 million FAR tokens. The company publicly announced a $10.5 million funding round in March 2023 led by prominent blockchain investment firm Pantera Capital, alongside other venture capital participants.
Prosecutors allege that Tarsha began diverting investor funds almost immediately after raising capital. Rather than deploying funds toward marketplace development and token creation, Tarsha allegedly used investor money to gamble at online casinos, purchase speculative cryptocurrencies, acquire a Miami condominium, and fund personal activities including DJ-related expenses. The scheme included nearly $1 million in concealed compensation to Tarsha through two bonuses hidden from both investors and a co-founder, plus a salary Tarsha himself acknowledged as unreasonable given that Few and Far had no functional product and zero revenue.
A June 2023 audit uncovered the irregularities in fund usage, triggering the investigation that led to the indictment. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. The indictment does not identify the specific defrauded investors, though the scale of the fraud across 67+ investors suggests institutional and retail participants in the crypto investment market suffered material losses.
Few and Far represented itself to investors as a development-stage company building a decentralized marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Beginning in February 2022, Tarsha solicited investments through Simple Agreements for Future Tokens (SAFTs)—a common but heavily scrutinized fundraising mechanism in crypto—under which investors paid upfront for the right to receive the company's FAR tokens at a future date. According to the indictment, Tarsha raised more than $10 million from at least 67 investors by selling rights to 95 million FAR tokens. The company publicly announced a $10.5 million funding round in March 2023 led by prominent blockchain investment firm Pantera Capital, alongside other venture capital participants.
Prosecutors allege that Tarsha began diverting investor funds almost immediately after raising capital. Rather than deploying funds toward marketplace development and token creation, Tarsha allegedly used investor money to gamble at online casinos, purchase speculative cryptocurrencies, acquire a Miami condominium, and fund personal activities including DJ-related expenses. The scheme included nearly $1 million in concealed compensation to Tarsha through two bonuses hidden from both investors and a co-founder, plus a salary Tarsha himself acknowledged as unreasonable given that Few and Far had no functional product and zero revenue.
A June 2023 audit uncovered the irregularities in fund usage, triggering the investigation that led to the indictment. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. The indictment does not identify the specific defrauded investors, though the scale of the fraud across 67+ investors suggests institutional and retail participants in the crypto investment market suffered material losses.
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